Christopher Wright: Ace Attorney
by Mike AZ 2
Summary: Essentially a redo of a joint project I'm working on with Chris Ketchum, but takes place during the events of Justice for All. Features OCs and some original cases.
1. Christopher Wright

Christopher Wright: Ace Attorney

Since the story wasn't going so well, I decided to completely redo it and start over. This time, its taking place after the first game, during Justice for All with some original cases.

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney was developed an copyrighted by Capcom.

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Christopher Wright

It was a beautiful day in Los Angelus, aspiring Defense Attorney Christopher Wright had passed the bar exam at the young age of eighteen. The youth was on his way to apply for an official job at Wright and Co. Law Offices. Before that, he started for his old friend Ema's place.

The young woman in question, who had brown hair and was wearing a white jacket, was taking it easy at the local park, mulling over what transpired during the lengthily case she'd helped Phoenix with.

"Hey, Ema" Chris greeted her with a smile.

Ema glanced over to the young man"Oh, hey Chris" she smiled back briefly"How have you been?"

"Just dandy, passed the Bar Exam" Chris smiled, showing her his new badge.

Ema smiled"Good going, Chris. Going to be a Lawyer, right?"

"Yeah, so how are things at your end?" Chris asked her.

Ema frowned for a moment and sighed"Well, Lana was arrested and is no longer Chief Prosecutor of the district."

"Oh yeah I heard about that" Chris said frowning"I'm sorry what happened."

"Thanks" Ema gave a small smile"But at least she was cleared of murder charges after your uncle, Phoenix discovered the truth and exposed the Chief of police, Damon Gant as the one responsible for the murders of Detective Goodman and Prosecutor Marshall."

Chris smiled"That's Uncle Nick for ya. Though what are you gonna do now?" He asked.

"Well, I'm going to study an become a Forensics scientist one day" Ema replied.

He chuckled"Wow. That sounds pretty cool. Can't wait to see you get that achievement" he said.

The brown haired girl smiled"And I can't wait to see you win your first case Mr. Attorney."

"Heh, me too" Chris smiled"You know that my uncle exposed a murderer in his first trial and bested legendary prosecutors Edgeworth and Von Karma? I thought that was amazing. Well, I gotta go to the Wright and Co. Law Offices and apply."

"OK. And it was great seeing you again." She then gave Chris a hug. "And thanks for cheering me up" she said softly.

Chris blushed a little. "Anytime Ema" he said and hugged back.

"Well, see you" Ema smiled as she let go.

Chris nodded and headed for the law office.

Ema grinned at Chris walking form once more before heading back in.

Chris eventually arrived at the Wright and Co. Law Office and knocked on the door.

"Just a minute!" He heard a male voice coming from behind the door.

Chris smiled as he recognized the voice and door opened. A man with spikey black hair and a blue suit stood in the doorway"Hm? Oh, hey, Chris. Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Same here, I heard a lot about you, Uncle" Chris smiled"Well, I passed the bar exam and became a Lawyer."

"Congratulations" Phoenix praised him.

"Thanks, and I'd like to work here if possible" Chris requested.

Phoenix was surprised. "Work here?"

"Yeah, I mean, I want to join your law office, and honestly, I needed a job" Chris admitted.

Phoenix scratched his chin"Well I could use some help around since Maya left" he said.

"Thank you" Chris smiled"Was Maya your assistant? I didn't hear much about her."

"Yes she was" Phoenix nodded"You see, she is a spirit medium in training, ever since her older sister died, I took the role as cheif of the office. Maya was then accused of killing her sister, so I stepped in and helped her."

"I heard on the news, must have been tough" Chris remarked"So, what does Maya do nowadays?"

"She's now training to make her powers stronger. And I'm proud of her" Phoenix smiled.

"Oh, she's a Spirit Medium?" Chris suddenly understood"Sounds awesome."

Phoenix nodded"Her spirit powers helped me win my cases."

"Incredible, I'd like to meet her sometime" Chris commented.

"Well you might" Phoenix smiled.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"Today I was heading to the Kurain Village that's where Maya was busy training her spiritual powers for the year. Would you like to come with me?" The older man invited.

"Sure" Chris nodded with a smile.

Just then, a man in his mid thirties with glasses, a brown suit with a tie approached the doors of the law office. It had started to rain not long Chris had entered the Wright and Co. Law Offices.

"What depressing rain...Do you understand how depressed that makes me!? Do you!?" The man scowled.

Phoenix sweatdropped"Uh, I guess..."

"But actually, I'm angry. Angry at that weather girl on TV. "I think our little rainy spell will take a break with a day of sun!"...is what that girl said! I'd stake my life on it!" The man ranted.

Chris shrugged"Well, I saw on the weather channel a while ago... Good thing I just came in."

"But that's why I didn't bring an umbrella today. What nerve, calling herself a weather girl! She's going to hear about my $1500 suit!" said the man.

Phoenix frowned"Um... About your case...Unless you're planning on suing the weather girl...?"

The man sighed"I'm sorry. I thought that before we got down to business, we could have some friendly chatter. I'm a surgeon, name's Doctor Grey."

"Well, remind us not to get under your knife" Chris remarked"Oh, and I'm Christopher Wright, an aspiring Attorney, just fresh out of law school and taking the bar exam."

"And I'm Phoenix, so what's the problem?" Phoenix addressed Dr. Grey.

The doctor sighed"I'm here today because of this particular incident." He showed them a newspaper.

Phoenix was not entirely surprised""Malpractice at Grey Surgical Clinic. Fourteen In-Patients Lose Their Lives!? So, you're the doctor at that place?"

"It's really quite upsetting. Did you hear me!? UPSETTING!" Dr. Grey was frustrated.

Phoenix nodded"Yes, yes, I heard you. I agree, its really frustrating."

"The one that royally messed up was that nurse! It was her that got the medications mixed up and killed those 14 patients! And yet! That nurse had the nerve to go and die before admitting to her wrongdoing! She didn't even offer any sort of explanation to me! And this is the kicker! She up and has herself a grand ol' accident and crashed her car! Smash! Crunch! Instantly transforming her car into the accordion model!" Grey added.

"That case is over a year old, right? So, why are we bringing it up?" Chris piped up.

"That's simple!" Grey replied"Because the situation is slipping out of my grasp. This just won't do. My clinic isn't seeing nearly as many patients these days. Do you understand what that means!? It means they're not coming to my clinic!"

'I wouldn't want to go there either, after that happened' Chris thought.

"I want you to help prove that I'm innocent" Dr. Grey requested.

"Uh, hello? We're Lawyers, not private investigators" Chris pointed out.

"And why ask us?" Phoenix asked"I'm sure you can find someone else."

Dr. Grey shook his head"You're the only one who can help" he told the blue-clad Attorney"You know Maya Fey? I hear she's a Spirit Medium."

"Well" Phoenix rubbed his head"We worked together on a couple trials, but she left to undergo training."

"Ah, yes, I heard" The doctor nodded"It must be lonely for you."

"Wh-What!?" Phoenix was tongue tied at that.

"Maya must be an extraordinary girl to handle such rigid training" The doctor commented"I have an acquaintance who knows a lot about these mystical sorts of things. She's the one who introduced me to Ms. Fey. And I've already set up an appointment."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow"For what?"

Grey scowled"What else!? A channeling! I'm going to have her call the spirit of that nurse that went and got herself killed!"

Chris kept his mouth shut, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the Surgeon.

The doctor continued"Not counting training, this will be her first time channeling, so she gave me one condition before accepting my request."

"A condition...? What was it?" Phoenix asked, curious.

Grey replied"The condition is you, Mr. Wright. She said that she wouldn't do the channeling without seeing you again, first. And that is why I've searched you out! You want to see her too, am I right!?"

Phoenix thought this through for a moment"All right, Chris and I were planning to go see her, anyway."

The three headed out of the Law Office, to a small village that was not far away from the city.

'So, this is Maya's hometown' Phoenix thought as he looked around, there were only a couple buildings. A little girl in a pink shirt with light brown hair was standing not far away.

"Hey, there" Chris tried to address the girl, who just simply shied away from them.

"Hmm... What an odd little girl" Phoenx commented.

A woman with dark hair came up to them"Wait up, Pearly!"

'Someone is coming this way' Chris thought.

The woman spotted the two Lawyers and greeted her old friend"Niiiiiiiick!"

Phoenix smiled"M-Maya. How are you...? It's good to see you again."

Maya smiled back"Wow, I didn't think you'd really show up!"

Phoenix shrugged"It's such a big deal. You made it sound like you were soooo far away."

Maya shrugged"Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit."

Phoenix was slightly abashed"It was only 2 hours by train. If I had known, I'd have visited you more often."

"You're not allowed. I already decided that until I become an adult, I have to work hard and be strong by myself" Maya explained.

Phoenix nodded"Anyway, congratulations. I'm glad to hear that your training is going well."

Maya nodded"You bet, and who's this?" She referred to the younger Lawyer.

"Oh, hey" Chris flushed slightly"I'm Christopher Wright, I only recently started working for my uncle at the law office."

"Wow, you must be really something, passed the bar exam at an early age, right?" Maya asked.

Chris nodded"Something like that, I'm about your age."

Phoenix chose this moment to speak"Looks like you've finally become a full-fledged Medium, taking on your first job."

Maya nodded"Yeah. I had no idea it would be this soon."

Phoenix was surprised"But this case... Do you know the messy story behind it...?"

Maya grinned"Ha ha ha, behold the power of the Maya Intelligence Network! Let's see. Fourteen people died because of malpractice on Dr. Grey's part, right? And to pin the blame on the nurse, he killed her in what appeared to be a car accident!"

Chris sweatdropped"Well..." He trailed off.

Maya laughed"Ha ha ha. I'm just pulling your leg. What really happened is the opposite. Dr. Grey told me about it. I wouldn't take a crazed killer as a client! That's too scary, even for me."

Phoenix then remembered the quiet girl he and Chris saw earlier"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you about that girl in the purple shirt I saw earlier. Do you know her?"

Maya's eyes widened"Oh, you mean Pearly?"

"Pearly?" Chris asked.

Maya nodded"She's my cousin, Pearl Fay. Isn't she adorable? Just like yours truly!"

Phoenix was taken aback"Cousin... Wait, then she's also a?"

"Yup. She's a medium, too. Pearly's a real genius when it comes to channeling!" Maya boasted.

Phoenix nodded in understanding"Hmm, I see. I hope I didn't scare her when I tried to talk to her earlier."

Maya shook her head"It's not you. My aunt drilled it into her head that "if a suspicious-looking person tries to talk to you, run away."

Phoenix was surprised"S-Suspicious-looking...!?"

"Well, you're not wearing training clothes, for starters..." Maya trailed off.

Phoenix shrugged"Of course not."

"Pearly is my aunt's most valued treasure, she's not allowed to go outside of town. She doesn't know much about the world outside of Kurain Village" Maya explained further.

"Your aunt?" Chris asked.

"Pearly's mother is my aunt" Maya responded, then said"Well, Nick, I've got to get going. It's about time for the channeling to start. I'm doing the channeling in my house, so come on in, OK? After I'm done, we can grill up some juicy burgers!"

Phoenix nodded"Alright. Good luck, Maya."

"Thanks!" Maya went on ahead to her house. Chris and Phoenix followed shortly after.

Dr. Grey greeted the two at the meditation room"Ah, Mr. Wright. I'm so glad you showed."

Phoenix nodded"Some nice weather we're having today. Aren't you happy?"

Grey shook his head, aghast"No. That stupid weather girl made the wrong call again. "It will rain cats and dogs today!" she said with a straight face. I can't believe they allow such misguided reports on the public airwaves!"

'Mental note, never ask this guy about weather' Chris thought.

Grey calmed down and said"But at any rate, this is a splendid manor. I was give a guidemap to this building. Here, Mr. Wright. I have a copy for you too" he handed over a guidemap to the older attorney.

"What are you going to do once the nurse's spirit has been called?" Chris asked.

Grey snorted"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to have that nurse write a signed confession."

Phoenix was puzzled"A signed confession?"

Grey nodded"Yes. Pay attention! I'll have her write this: "One year ago, on May 2nd, 14 patients died due to my negligence. And then, on May 24th, I fell asleep at the wheel and died in a car accident due to my further negligence. I'm sorry and I apologize for being negligent." That's what I'll have her write! With a confession, the rain falling on my soul can finally stop."

Phoenix sweat dropped"O-Oh, I see... So, how did you hear about Maya Fey...?"

"I heard about her from an acquaintance; a girl studying the occult at the college. That girl introduced me to this village. This is the home of the Kurain School of Channeling" Dr. Grey replied.

Phoenix was curious"The home, huh...?"

"And Ms. Maya is a daughter of the "Master", I hear" The doctor added.

"Master...?" Chris asked.

Grey ignored him"Anyway, do you see that door? That's the room where people and spirits meet. Ms. Maya's aunt is in there at the moment. Would you care to meet her?"

"Sure" Phoenix and Chris went into the meditation room.

An older woman with dark hair greeted them"Good sir! Who might the two of you?"

Phoenix was taken aback"Aaah! I-I'm, uh, my name is Phoenix Wright.. And this is Chris, my nephew."

"Oh... You must be that good sir..." The woman glanced at the blue-clad attorney. Mystic Maya has told me much about you. I am Mystic Maya's aunt, Morgan Fey."

Phoenix nodded"N-Nice to meet you."

Morgan smiled pleasantly, although Chris couldn't help but get a bit of a weird vibe about her"I had wanted to speak with you about a certain incident, good sir. It would seem that perhaps you ask too much of Mystic Maya in performing your duties. Most unbecoming."

Phoenix was confused"Huh?"

Morgan was amused"Don't tell me you have forgotten? That was it not for Mystic Maya and her assistance, you would surly not have won your cases... Ah, but The past is the past though. Let's us speak of the present now."

"Ah, thank you.." Phoenix said, relieved.

"Oh, yes" Morgan continued"I wonder if you have yet to meet Pearl."

"Pearl?" Phoenix asked.

"Maya's cousin, right?" Chris asked.

Morgan nodded, ignoring Chris' negligence to use Maya's formal title"She is an adorable, angelic young girl."

Phoenix frowned"Oh, that odd..."

"She is my daughter. Now then, what was it you were about to say...?" The woman asked.

Phoenix flushed"Wh-What a cute daughter you have... Ahaha..." Chris kept his mouth shut.

Morgan acted as though unfazed by the comment"A pure heart that knows not of the evils in this world is a powerful thing, good sir. Please refrain from affiliating with her, I request."

Phoenix nodded, but it wasn't like he and Chris had the chance to.

"I must insist that you not let it occur" Morgan stated.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Phoenix gulped.

Chris felt more than a bit creeped out by Morgan and left the room. Phoenix followed him, a bit concerned.

"Is something wrong?" Phoenix asked his nephew.

"I just felt uncomfortable around her, Maya's aunt seems nice enough, but I have a bad feeling about this..." Chris trailed off. He wasn't psychic, but he was somewhat good at reading people. His father worked for Interpol and had taught him a few tricks of his trade, after all.

Before Phoenix could reply, a voice called"Hey! You! Hold on! This gal's got a few questions to ask!"

Chris and his uncle turned to see a bushy-red haired woman"Oh, well I'll be! It's Mr. Phoenix Wright! How ya been!? Haven't seen you in, what, a year!?"

"You know her, uncle?" Chris asked.

"Yeah" Phoenix nodded and turned to address the red-haired photographer"Lotta Hart, correct?"

Lotta smiled"Yep. I'm the one and only "paranormal photographer," Lotta Hart!"

Phoenix nodded"So I assume you're still at it? Being a photographer, I mean."

Lotta grinned"Of course! And today, I'm getting myself a real scoop! You wait and see. And this other guy is?" She glanced at Chris.

"I'm Christopher Wright, nice to meet you. You were involved in that case where Uncle Nick took down legendary Prosecutor Manfred Von Karma, right?" Chris smiled.

"Yeah, it was quite exciting" Lotta nodded, then paused for a moment and said"Oh, that's right! This ain't no time to be lollygagging around! The channeling's about to get started!"

Phoenix was surprised"Is it that time already!?"

Lotta nodded"We all should hurry up and get to the Meditation Room. ...What are you waiting around for!? Come on!"

The three headed back into Fey Manor and went to the meditation room. Morgan greeted them"Right on time. We will now begin the channeling. Mystic Maya and honored guests, please proceed into the Channeling Chamber."

Grey nodded"With this, I can finally swat all those pesky flies, once and for all! You hear me!? They won't be able to say a single bad thing about me after this! You would love to hear them apologize for their slandering, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you, Mr. Wright!?"

Phoenix nodded"Oh, uh, yeah, I sure would."

"Same here" said Chris.

Morgan addressed her niece"Do you have the Channeling Chamber key, Mystic Maya?"

Maya nodded"Yup, right here."

Morgan nodded"That key is one-of-a-kind, so please take care of it well."

"It'll be fine, Aunt Morgan. I won't lose it, trust me! OK, Dr. Grey. Let's get started" said Maya, heading in.

Grey nodded"Let's go!" The two entered the room and Maya locked it behind them.

Morgan turned to her other guests"Let us wait patiently out here for them. Please have some lovely bitter green tea and jaw-droppingly large strawberry desserts..."

"Sounds great" Chris smiled awkwardly, his bad feeling had still not disappeared, but he could not bring this up, now.

"Hold on, now, granny!" barked Lotta.

Morgan scowled at her"Granny?"

"How come we ain't allowed in that room!?" The photographer demanded.

Morgan was appalled by that attitude"You have an "impressive" grasp of English, madam. From where did you learn it?"

Lotta was even more peeved"What!? I'm from the heart of the heartland!"

Morgan shook her head in annoyance"Is that so? Then I humbly request that you return to this "Heart of the Heartland. This is Kurain Village. If you cannot follow our rules, we request that you leave!"

Lotta sweatdropped"Sorry."

'Way to shut her up' Chris thought, mildly impressed. He just hoped he hadn't jinxed himself and everyone else present with the bad feeling he still had. After a moment's silence, a gunshot was heard in the room ahead.

"What that?" Chris gasped.

"A gunshot, I heard that before" Lotta remarked.

"What?" Morgan looked shocked.

Chris frowned"The door is locked, right? I'm going in anyway. Never thought I'd have to use the martial arts my dad taught me for this."

"We should go together, Chris. Miss Morgan Fay, you can send the repair bill to the Wright and Co. Law Offices, later" Phoenix stated, the two attorneys rushing to break the door down and check on Maya and Dr. Grey.

"What a couple of real men, you two are" Lotta commented.

Phoenix and Chris rushed into the room upon breaking down the door to see the doctor dying.

"Dr. Grey!" Chris gasped.

"...I... ...I was... murdered..." said a voice.

Phoenix turned to the source"M-Maya?"

The woman gasped"That man... ...murdered me... ...so I killed... him..."

"Wh-What!?" Phoenix gasped.

Lotta grinned and took a picture"Times like this are perfect for snapping up shots! But what's going on here!? This gal... Is she... ...Maya!?"

Morgan came in"Please leave this area to me. Go quickly and inform the police! Hurry!"

Lotta nodded"Let's go, City Boys! Leave this to the granny!"

The three rushed outside, Phoenix tried using his cell phone, only to see that it did not work all the way out here.

"I got this" Chris rushed to the phone booth to call the police, Phoenix and Lotta stood where they were anxiously.

"Uncle, I think there might be more to this" Chris suggested as they waited.

Phoenix scratched his chin"Maybe, but we don't know for sure."

A few minutes later, a certain detective with a green jacket and a bandage on his cheek approached them"The police are here."

"Detective Gumsyoe, right?" Lotta addressed him.

"My name is Gumeshoe, pal. I just was looking into some stuff going on elsewhere when I got the call, let's go check things out" The detective said.

"Right" The group rushed back into the meditation chamber. Maya and her aunt were still there.

"What... happened?" Maya groaned, almost dazed.

"It was a murder" Morgan said to the detective, showing him the body of Doctor Grey.

Chris nodded"Right, so what now?"

"She's the only one in the room besides us, so I'm afraid I'll have to take her in, pal" said Gumeshoe.

Chris could only look helplessly as Maya was promptly arrested and escorted out of the manor. He looked at Lotta and Phoenix, wondering what they thought, but they just stood there.

"Chris" Phoenix addressed his nephew"I need to do some investigating, if Maya's innocent, someone else must be the killer, but I don't know who, nor do I see how."

"Can I help?" Chris asked.

Phoenix shook his head"I'll need you to hold the fort back at the law office, I don't want you getting into trouble on my and Maya's account. If any clients call while I'm absent, it'll be up to you to help them. However, whenever you have free time and I'm in the middle of a trial, you can come watch if you want. I know this is a big responsibility, but I think you can handle it."

"Thanks, Uncle" Chris smiled"You can count on me." He hoped that Maya will be okay, but he trusted his uncle to prove her innocence if it turned out that she was framed again.

Phoenix nodded"Even If I'm not there when you win your first case, I promise that I'll see it on the newspapers, anyway."

Chris nodded with a small smile before departing back to the office. He had hoped that his uncle would be there for him when he defended in his first official trial, but it couldn't be helped.

* * *

Well, this was a long prologue, I hope it was enjoyable, I only plan on following part of Reunion and Turnabout, but maybe I'll have Chris pop in during the last trial segment, we'll see.


	2. Turnabout Arcade-Prologue

Here's the next chapter of Christopher Wright. Forgot to mention since I reposted the story that Christopher Wright is an OC I borrowed from Chris Ketchum. While I'll mostly be doing original cases, I'm planning on incorporating events from canon cases that might need explaining, as this runs parallel to the events of Justice for All.

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney was created by Capcom.

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Turnabout Arcade-Prologue

Chris returned to the Law Office, which took another two hours, keeping his mind off of Maya as he took a closer gander at the various law books and the potted plant that his Uncle kept.

'Sure is a nice place, kinda quiet, but can't be helped' he looked at the plant and later proceeded to read one of the law books to keep himself occupied, it was a pretty sophisticated subject, but his IQ was above-average.

As he was reading the first two pages, he heard a knock on the door and went to answer. A young woman at age twenty with light brown hair greeted him"Hi, I'm looking for Mr. Phoenix Wright."

"He's busy with another case at the moment" Chris responded apologetically"Can I help? I recently started working in this law office, Phoenix is my uncle. I'm Christopher Wright, I only recently got my badge, but I'd be happy to be of assistance, anyway."

"You will? That's great" The woman smiled"My name Is Alicia Clementine. My younger brother is in trouble."

"Let me guess" Chris frowned"He's been framed for a crime that he didn't commit and you need me to defend him, right?"

"Why, yes" Alicia nodded"He's always been competitive, but he'd never hurt anyone. My mom and dad can't afford a Lawyer, so it would be some time before I can come up with the money to pay you."

Chris smiled"Hey, its no big deal. Sure, it would be nice to get paid, but I value life more than money. I'll do what I can for your brother, you might wanna tell your parents, though."

"Actually, I want to go with you" Alicia replied"I can help with this case. I want to become a police officer one of these days, anyway."

"Sounds cool" Chris commented"All right, you may come."

"Thank you" Alicia smiled.

The two of them went to the detention center and went to the visitor's room, a young man with reddish brown hair sat on the other side"Hm? Alicia? What are you doing here!?"

"I found someone to represent us" Alicia replied to her brother, rolling her eyes.

"I see" The young man, who was at least seventeen, glanced at Chris"Oh, so you're...?" He trailed off.

Chris smiled, showing the young man his badge"I'm Christopher Wright, sir. I'm taking your case."

"My name's Jared" The young man nodded"Reason I got thrown into this dump is because I am accused of killing an Arcade Gaming legend, Victor Thompson. Can you believe it!? Sure, we're rivals, and I'm a runner-up Veteran, but I'd never resort to murder. Those cops just wouldn't listen!" He was frustrated.

"I see, and how old was the guy?" Chris asked.

"Around my age. And although mostly kids go to the Arcade, some teens go there too" Jared explained"I wish I knew who the real killer is, all I can tell you is that the murder weapon is apparently a ball from one of the games in the arcade. Must have been hard, or it wouldn't do any damage."

Chris nodded"I gotcha, where Is this Arcade?"

"Downtown, there's a local pizzeria joint close to it" Jared replied, proceeding to give him directions"Sis, I'm sorry I'm causing you so much grief" he addressed Alicia.

"Don't worry about it" Alicia assured her brother.

"Well, guess its investigating time" Chris turned to go"Alicia, you don't mind helping me with this, right?"

"Of course not" Alicia nodded, following him out of the Detention Center.

The two headed downtown, Chris jotted down a couple of things In a notebook he was carrying. Part of him assumed that this should be an easy case, but there was no telling.

They came to a small two-story building near the pizza place Jared had specified. Alicia glanced ahead"My brother really loved the arcade games here, I suppose I did, too."

"It must be really popular" Chris smiled as he walked forward. Only a few people were in today, plus a police officer and a man with brownish hair in a brown jacket and white t-shirt with pants were investigating as best they can without bothering the Players and the Staff.

"Hey there" Chris greeted the man in the jacket.

The man turned when he heard the brunette Lawyer address him"Hm? Oh, hello there. You guys here for fun and games I assume?" He joked.

"Actually, no" Chris rubbed his head"I'm an Attorney, Christopher Wright" he showed him his badge"I took Jared Clementine's case. This young woman with me is his sister."

The man was slightly surprised"Pleasure. Wright, huh? You related to that famous Lawyer, Phoenix I assume?"

"Yep" Chris smiled"He's my uncle. I was wondering If I can get some information on this case."

The man nodded"Be my guest, though there aren't many clues. The crime scene is on the first floor, people are staying clear of that and focusing on the games near the edge of the arcade. Although some folks are scared to come due to the murder. Oh, and I'm Detective Kenderick Seeke, I was assigned to check things out, not many clues here, though. You're welcome to check the crime scene."

"Thanks" Chris smiled slightly"And I assume the Prosecution is having trouble finding conclusive proof of the guy's guilt, then?"

"Kinda, but she's been receiving information from the manager" shrugged Kenderick"She told me to keep this hush-hush, as there's nothing conclusive yet, but she believes she may have figured out the murder weapon."

"Jared mentioned it was some sort of ball" Alicia piped up"Oh, and I'm an aspiring Police Officer, Alicia."

"Pleasure" Kenderick addressed her"A two pound ball as the murder weapon is just plain balderdash, as it couldn't possibly kill anyone, but the Prosecutor I'm working for has a theory. Also, there were what appeared to be the Accused's fingerprints on one ball."

Chris nodded, taking notes of it"And who's the Prosecutor for this case, if you don't mind me asking?" Part of him was secretly hoping it was Edgeworth, who he heard about, he'd be lucky to meet this Legendary Prosecutor.

"Her name's Priscilla Whiteshore. She was Prosecutor Edgeworth's Protégée until the guy supposedly "chose death" after a lengthy case. I don't know all the details, though" Kenderick replied"Her intuition and deductive reasoning makes her an awesome Prosecutor, calls herself a crusader for the truth, she does."

'Sounds like I already have a tough opponent, even if its not Edgeworth' Chris thought before saying"She sounds incredible."

"Of course" Kenderick smiled"Although she has only prosecuted a couple of cases in the past year, she told me this, herself. Oh, and here's a copy of the autopsy report" he handed it over to the slightly younger man.

"Thanks. And sorry about Prosecutor Edgeworth" Chris said, apologetically.

Kenderick raised an eyebrow"Actually, his body was never found, which makes Prosecutor Whiteshore adamant that he's still alive and out there somewhere, I'm told that he's not the type who would commit suicide. And now, my colleague Detective Gumshoe is working for Prosecuting Prodigy Franziska Von Karma. Well, that's enough chit-chat, you got some investigating to do before the trial tomorrow, right?"

"Right" Chris nodded and headed for the crime scene.

"Sounds like the people at the Prosecutor's Office really know what they're doing" Alicia commented.

"Yeah" Chris arrived at the center of the first floor with the outline where the body of the victim was, along with a couple of game cabinets.

Alicia grimaced as she spotted a dent on one of the cabinets"Hm. Its barely visible, but it looks like there's a dent over on that cabinet."

Chris nodded and inspected it, it was a Donkey Kong game cabinet"Nothing suspicious about that, but I'll take a note just in case." He jotted down this information and looked around some more.

"Hm. So, what now?" Alicia asked.

"Hey, guys!" A fifteen year-old boy approached"You here to try your luck at the games, too?"

"No, we're just investigating a crime scene" Chris replied"What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Hilary" The boy replied"I saw the body, first and just assumed it was Jared, but now the Detective said me and my parents can't leave, said that I will be at the Witness Stand at some point in tomorrow's trial, which sounds kinda cool."

"Well, then, Hilary. Can you tell us about the victim?" Alicia asked.

"He was a cool guy, so was Jared. I can't believe the latter would knock the former down like that" Hilary grimaced"A solitary ball wouldn't do it, I played a game where you have to toss balls at the holes to earn points, none of 'em were heavy."

"Well, that's good to know" Chris smiled"Thank you for your time."

"No problem, mister" Hilary grinned.

Chris and Alicia went further in, a Mechanic was currently working on a busted game cabinet.

"What happened here?" Alicia asked the mechanic.

"Hm?" The Mechanic looked up"This game broke a few hours ago, I'm trying to get it fixed. A cracked screen is one thing, but as far as functionality goes... Humph. The odds of getting this working again are slim."

Chris took a look at the screen"Hm. There's a crack, all right. Any idea how it got there?"

"Someone must have crashed something onto it" the Mechanic grunted"Name's Crank, by the way."

"I'm Christopher Wright, I work as a Defense Attorney" Chris introduced himself"Say, this have anything to do with the murder that took place, here?"

Crank grunted"Who knows? All I know is that the manager asked me to try to get this game working again, it was one of the most popular ones, too. Its a Star Wars Game Cabinet, if you must know."

"And how is it broken?" Alicia asked.

"Because it was jarred, and something broke the plug that was connected to it" the Mechanic replied"I don't know all the details yet."

Chris then took a look at the game cabinet, what appeared to be a dent was right below the screen"Hm. I better take note of this" he wrote down the information and addressed Crank"Thank you for your time."

The mechanic grunted and returned to work.

As Alicia and Chris walked away, Chris shrugged"Well, I think that's all the info we can get. Hopefully It will be enough for the trial, tomorrow. With any luck, I can at least prove that Jared didn't kill Victor."

"Just do your best" Alicia smiled reassuringly.

"You're right, the most important thing I can do is believe in my Client" Chris acknowledged as he started back to the Law Office.

Alicia checked the time on her watch"Well, guess this is where we'll split up. I'll be watching the trial, I want to at least be there for my brother. I just know that he's innocent."

Chris smiled"I'll try my best not to let you down." The two parted ways.

* * *

Okay, not a lot went on in this chapter, but this is just a setup for the first trial segment. I want to do at least two investigation segments ant two trial segments per original case.

Spoiler incoming: I'm planning on this eventually being revealed as an accidental murder, just need to think on how to pull it off. Hope It was enjoyable, despite being short.


	3. Turnabout Arcade-Trial 1

Another day and another chapter. Hope this one's enjoyable.

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney was created by Capcom

* * *

Turnabout Arcade-Trial I

Chris had returned to the law office and began reviewing his facts for tomorrow's trial. There had been tiny, subtle hints as to what could possibly have happened if Jared was not the culprit, earlier. And yet, he couldn't yet be sure if a third party was involved, at least not at the moment.

Phoenix returned just a bit later and saw his nephew going over some papers"Chris."

"Huh? Oh, hey uncle" Chris smiled for a moment as he looked up"How was your investigation?"

The older Lawyer shrugged"Its kind of going well, Maya's trial is tomorrow, so I'm going to defend her in court. And how about you?"

"I got a case earlier this afternoon, a murder had supposedly happened at a local Arcade" Chris replied"I did some investigating, and I know who the Prosecution is for this one. Heard of Prosecutor Whiteshore?"

Phoenix scratched his chin thoughtfully"Only by reputation. She was Edgeworth's Apprentice, and is known for her incredible intuition. But regardless of your or her skill in the courtroom, what's important is for you to believe in your client to the bitter end if he or she is innocent."

"I got it" Chris smiled"Well, good night." He headed back to his apartment for the night to prepare for tomorrow's Trial.

* * *

A blond young woman with blue eyes, her long hair held in a ponytail, a yellow tank top with a pink jacket and pants was at her desk in the Prosecutor's Office, going over paperwork for the trial. She occasionally thought back to the case where Chief Prosecutor Lana was arrested due to being an unwilling accomplice to the former Chief of Police, Damon Gant. Edgeworth's note that he had "chosen death" had surprised her, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Detective Kenderick entered the office shortly, having returned from his investigation"Prosecutor Whiteshore, I got as much information as I could, and I thought I'd mention that the Lead Attorney on this case may be a rookie. He's a young guy called Christopher Wright, he's related to that other Lawyer, Phoenix."

"Interesting" she mussed"Well, whether I get a challenge or not, the truth is all Is bound to make itself known one way or another. And you did let him see the Autopsy Report, correct?"

"Yes" Kenderick nodded.

Priscilla stood up for her desk"At any rate, we best rest up for the trial. Detective Seeke, you certain there were no other witnesses than the boy who saw what happened to the victim?"

"Not many, actually. The Arcade's repairman might know something, though" Kenderick replied.

Priscilla nodded"All right, well, night."

* * *

Early the next day, after a light breakfast, Chris headed for the courthouse with Phoenix, the older Lawyer had his own client to defend, which is Maya in his case.

"Good luck, Chris" Phoenix addressed his nephew.

"Thanks, uncle" Chris went to the designated courtroom where the trial of Jared Clementine was going to be held. As he headed for the Defense Bench in anticipation, he caught sight of a woman who was only a couple of years older than him.

"Are you Prosecutor Whiteshore?" He asked the woman at the Prosecution bench.

The blond nodded"Indeed, and I take it you are Christopher Wright. Let me give you some advice, don't expect me to take it easy on you simply because its your first case, Detective Seeke told me about you."

"I won't have it any other way" Chris smiled, then noted the man with blond hair and a beard at the Judge's bench. He wondered if it was the same Judge who presided over Phoenix's first five cases.

The Judge spoke"Court is in session. Are the Defense and the Prosecution prepared?"

"The Prosecution is ready, your honor" Priscilla replied.

"The Defense is up and ready" Chris smiled"Your honor, if you don't mind me asking, were you the judge who presided over my uncle, Nick's cases? Phoenix Wright is my uncle's full name."

The Judge raised an eyebrow, but kept calm"Ah, so you're related to him. However, I am not the judge who presided over Mr. Phoenix Wright's cases, my elder brother was the presiding judge of those cases. But more to the point: Prosecutor Whiteshore, your opening statement, please." He had directed it at the Prosecutor.

Chris took notice of Jared who was currently standing near the Accused's desk, and he could barely make out Alicia among the people of the Gallery who were watching.

"Certainly" Priscilla nodded, going over her notes"This young man, Jared Clementine stands accused of murdering a renowned Arcade Legend, Victor Thompson. The murder weapon is not entirely clear, but I have a theory."

"I heard that you have a theory, Prosecutor" Chris interrupted"What is it?"

"Obviously, a two-pound ball cannot possibly kill anyone. Therefore, the Defendant may have put it and several heavier balls into a bag and bludgeoned the victim to death" Priscilla replied.

"Objection!" Chris stated"I don't think the arcade could've had heavier balls than that, surely the victim would've only been bruised."

Priscilla shrugged"Perhaps, but you have yet to hear more from my first witness" she then turned to the Judge"Your honor, the Prosecution submits its first witness, Detective Kenderick Seeke."

"Very well" The Judge nodded.

The Detective in question took the stand"People of the Gallery, my name is Kenderick Seeke. Yesterday, I was assigned to inspect the scene of the crime, apparently, the victim was killed at six AM."

"Hold on" Chris pulled out the Autopsy Report"No offense, but have you looked at the report yourself, Detective Kenderick? The arcade doesn't open until nine or ten on most days, and according to the report, the alleged murder occurred at three."

"Huh? Oh" Kenderick face-palmed, embarrassed"I guess I was so into looking for clues that I didn't take the time to inspect it."

"Tsk. Tsk." Priscilla shook her head, disappointed"Detective, don't give me a reason to give you a salary cut, remember to check the evidence more thoroughly, next time. I can only do so much, you know." Prosecutor Whiteshore was normally a kind person, but most of the time, she had to be firm and resolute in her line of work.

Kenderick nodded"Sorry about that, I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, back to my testimony."

'Those two are quite the duo' Chris thought, the Prosecutor was obviously trying not to look like a softy in court.

"I came across a broken screen on one of the game cabinets with traces of blood on it" Kenderick continued"And the fingerprints found on the ball that knocked the poor victim onto it was determined to be the Defendant's."

Chris was alarmed by this"Well, maybe someone planted the fingerprints onto the ball. Hey, this might be outlandish, but what if the victim died by a different weapon? That would make more sense. If so, maybe there actually was a third party."

"Don't be so hasty" Priscilla promptly stated, shaking her head for a second before saying"A Third party, eh? Without proof, what you are saying is nothing but conjecture, we'd need something more conclusive. The fact remains that the defendant, Jared was found at the scene of the crime. As it is, it makes more sense than not that he is the alleged killer in this case."

"Objection!" Chris called back"Something here just doesn't fit the facts! And was the console with the broken screen the same one that is under maintenance?"

"No, that's not possible. The game in question was unplugged, permanently" Priscilla replied"And there was very little else I could gleam from it. Which brings me to my last witness: A local teen who regularly frequents the arcade. And I won't put up with further hearsay without evidence from this point on."

"Excuse me, young lady, but I think that's my line" The Judge interjected"And I find that calling a child or a teen to testify goes against my conscious, but if you say so. First, we will take a short recess."

Alicia accompanied Chris out and met up with him at the Defendant Lobby"Chris, you really are wonderful."

"Thanks, although this case has been a tough nut to crack" Chris joked"Seriously though, I have a feeling that the next witness may be the most important one, yet. Just a hunch."

"You really think there might've been a third party? Although it does make some sense if you put it that way" Alicia asked.

Chris shrugged"Its too soon to know for sure, maybe something will come up that'll get me close to getting your brother off the hook. I heard that the manager of that Arcade was providing information to the Prosecution..."

"You think that's not the case?" Alicia asked.

Chris shrugged"Maybe, maybe not." He then stood there quietly in contemplation for the next few minutes. If Jared was not the one responsible, then maybe there had been someone else who committed the crime. What's more, if the Prosecution was receiving information, then maybe he should have a word with the Manager about it.

"Court is about to resume" A Bailiff addressed the young Attorney.

"Got it" Chris reentered the courtroom. Alicia went back to the Spectator Stands.

Priscilla stood at the Prosecution Bench, calm and confident as ever, although she had to admit that she was impressed by Chris' determination. But one way or another, landing a "guilty" verdict for the Defendant was the last thing on her mind.

Chris returned to the Defense's Bench and stood there, waiting. The Judge spoke"Court has resumed. Prosecutor Whiteshore, what of the witness?"

"He was a bit nervous, but he said he'll testify as best he can" Priscilla replied"I got his parents' permission."

The witness in question walked up to the witness stand, somewhat nervous about testifying in court.

The Judge addressed him"Your name, young man?"

"Hilary, sir. I'm a Regular Joe who frequents the arcade" Hilary replied.

The Judge nodded"Am I to understand you witnessed the scene of the crime?"

"Yeah, I think so" Hilary sweat-dropped.

"Hilary" Chris addressed him"You okay?"

Hilary glanced at Chris"Y-yeah, I think so."

Priscilla knew that the fifteen-year-old must be under pressure from having to do this, so she stated gently"Witness, whenever you're read, I expect you to tell us what you saw as best you can." She had to be gentle when it came to dealing with children and teenagers and surmised that Chris will do the same.

"Okay, miss" Hilary nodded"See, here's the thing. I was playing a go-kart racing game when I heard a loud thump, I was scared for a moment, it was almost as if a hammer hit the console. When I turned to look, there was Victor Thompson, dead. And there was this shadowy guy standing not far away."

"Hold on" Chris interrupted"Who was in the shadows?"

Hilary shrugged"I didn't get a good look, but it looked kinda like it was Jared. But maybe it wasn't... Anyway, I got scared and called for my parents, they and the manager came and saw the body. The Manager dialed 991 and the police came and arrested the guy before I could see him."

"Huh, that's ambiguous" Chris remarked"Well, Prosecutor, I don't think the Defendant can be convicted solely on Detective Kenderick and Hilary's testimonies."

"Objection!" Priscilla stated"I agree that there's nothing conclusive as of yet, but you don't have the decisive evidence required to prove the Defendant's Innocence, am I wrong?"

Chris rubbed the back of his head"True, but we can't deny that there's the possibility of a third person involved, can we?"

"Don't be so hasty" Priscilla sighed"What gives you the idea that there's another possible Suspect? Aside from the idea of a different murder weapon."

Chris pulled out his notes"Its just a hunch, really. Besides, there were a couple of broken consoles."

"Perhaps the culprit chased the victim around while trying to bludgeon him" Priscilla suggested.

Chris shook his head"I don't think so, I thought you'd know that much. And what of the arcade Manager? He's been giving you information, right?"

"Kenderick told you that, too, I assume?" Priscilla raised an eyebrow"Yes, he has. But that's irrelevant, don't you have any conclusive evidence of possible involvement from a Third Person?"

"I can think of one thing" Chris replied, explaining about the console the repairman, Crank was fixing"That means those small arcade balls were not the murder weapon."

"And nor was it possible. It seems that my theory was inaccurate" Priscilla conceded"Hilary, you may step down from the stand."

"Thanks" Hilary nodded.

Chris then took this moment to say"Your Honor, can we have your opinion?"

The Judge nodded"What we learned is just a little too vague for me to give my verdict. The Prosecution and the Defense are to conduct further investigation. Court is adjourned."

Chris took leave of the courtroom with Alicia. Priscilla had meanwhile gone to the Prosecution Office to go over her notes.

"What's next?" Alicia asked.

"I'm going back to the Arcade for more info. But first I should drop by the office" Chris replied, heading back to the Wright and Co. Law Office. Hopefully just a little more investigating will yield the information and evidence Chris needed to save Alicia's brother.

* * *

Well, that's that. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Oh, and I gave Priscilla a unique quote that she'll use interchangeably with Objection, it was this one: Don't be so Hasty, in case you're wondering.


	4. Turnabout Arcade-Investigation

Here you go, another chapter.

Disclaimer: All rights of the Ace Attorney Franchise belong to Capcom. Chris is Chris Ketchum's OC.

* * *

Turnabout Arcade-Investigation

Chris returned to the office to sort through his notes and contemplate what he learned during the trial. All he could figure out was that the person Hilary saw was not necessarily Jared.

'If the murder weapon wasn't a ball, which isn't possible anyway, and if there really is a third party... Hm.' Chris was lost in thought for a minute before Phoenix arrived back at the office.

"Chris" Phoenix greeted him"How was the trial? Sorry I couldn't be there."

"Oh, hey uncle. Its okay" Chris smiled"Must have been a tough one. Everything was a bit vague. Say, who was the Prosecutor for Maya's Trial?"

Phoenix shugged"Manfred Von Karma's daughter, Franziska was the Prosecution. She likes to whip anyone who provokes her from what I experienced, but enough about that, so when you said everything was vague, I assume you mean that you have not yet figured out the truth behind Jared's case?"

Chris nodded"Yeah, both Prosecutor Whiteshore and I are going to look into it. Whoever the killer is, his or her frame game was pretty weak from what I could tell. The cops just pretty much arrest anyone without gathering information, first, I guess. So, has Maya's innocence been proven, yet?"

"Not quite" Phoenix replied"A photograph that Prosecutor Franziska hid supposedly showed Maya, but it was impossible to tell for sure whether she was guilty of killing Dr. Gray or not."

Chris shrugged"Must be pretty tough, wish I could help you."

"Its okay" Phoenix assured his nephew"Just do your best while I continue investigating Maya's case."

Chris nodded"I believe in you, and I believe in Maya, too. She's definitely friendlier than her aunt seemed to be, no one that nice could possibly have a motive to kill anyone."

"We can't judge a book by its cover, Chris. But I agree with you that its likely that Maya is innocent" Phoenix reminded him"Its basically a locked-room case, which means I'll just have to use what possibilities that I can. Well, I must be off."

"Same here" Chris chimed, heading out of the law office, wondering if he'll have a chance to go visit Maya at the Detention Center sometime. But he shook his head to clear his thoughts as he went back to the Arcade.

Alicia was waiting near the entrance as the young Attorney approached"Hey, Chris. I spoke with my brother at the Detention Center an hour after the trial was put on hold for the day."

"How is he?" Chris asked, curious.

"Stubborn, but I asked him about the shadowy figure that young guy claimed to have seen, but all Jared knew that it wasn't him. While we're here, I'd like to resume this investigation with you, maybe we'll find more clues" Alicia offered.

"I don't see why not" Chris nodded.

The two began to head back to the Arcade, Chris was happy to have an Investigative Partner for the case, even if it was temporary. It calmed his nerves somewhat, though he was naturally calm and collected himself.

Detective Seeke and a couple of police officers had just arrived the same time the two of them did. The Detective grinned"Hey, Chris. Prosecutor Whiteshore sure went easy on you."

"You think so? I thought she wasn't pulling any punches, I wouldn't expect her to" Chris shrugged"So, you investigating things, here, too?"

Kenderick nodded"Yes, Prosecutor Whiteshore is even more determined to find the truth now more than ever, she's very determined once she sets her mind to her job. Well, I doubt that we'd find anything on the bottom floors, we checked already. Although I'm hoping to squeeze out some more info on that Crank guy."

"You think he could be a suspect?" Alicia asked.

Kenderick shook his head"Probably not, and as far as we know, the Defendant was the only one who was visibly at the scene of the crime. Then again, Murderers can be quite crafty, some may even try to lie and cheat their way out of trouble."

Chris nodded"Yeah, I saw some of my Uncle's cases before I joined his Law Firm. Oh, and can I ask you for some more information?"

"I've got nothing new, and Prosecutor Whiteshore insists that nothing be kept from the Defense. False Charges are a filthy business, and some of her colleagues don't share her sense of honor" Kenderick grimaced"Well, don't let me interfere with your investigation. I'll be right behind you if you're going to speak with Crank, now."

"Thanks, Detective" Chris smiled, entering the building with Priscilla.

The Arcade had fewer customers than yesterday, likely due to the investigation. The Arcade's Mechanic was busily fixing the cabinet he was working on and making sure its working again.

Alicia took a breath and stepped forward"Mr. Crank, sir."

"Huh?" The somewhat irritated mechanic grumbled and looked up"What? I'm busy, here."

"Its us, Chris and Alicia" Chris spoke up.

The Mechanic's expression softened a bit"Oh, you two. You really stuck it to the Prosecution, I reckon. And don't get me wrong, Priscilla's a nice girl. Though she's actually been feelin' conflicted, I heard that Detective muttering something to himself yesterday."

"Conflicted?" Chris asked.

"Beats me, and its none of my business" Crank replied, shaking his head"So, what do you want from me, now? I gotta finish doing repairs on this cabinet before I head home."

"It'll only take a moment of your time" Chris assured the older man"Can you tell me something about your boss? I hear he's been feeding Prosecutor Whiteshore information."

Crank hesitated, then replied, scratching his chin in thought"You think the Manager is a suspect? I sure hope not."

Chris shook his head"No, but there has to have been a third party involved in the murder. Least that's what I think."

The Mechanic blinked"You reckon so? Either way, this murder mystery has been bad for business. Luckily, the Manager's doing what he can to try and keep this place up and running."

"What can you tell us about the manager?" Alicia asked.

"He's a shrewd businessman" Crank replied"Although since his wife passed away... Well, he and his son haven't exactly been the same. His son actually hangs around the second floor a lot, what with his old man being busy. Oh, and the Manager's name is Arcadia Smithson. If you want to meet him, his office is on the second floor. His son's kinda quiet, but a good lad. Sorry I can't be of anymore help than this."

"Its okay" Chris assured him, walking away.

Alicia followed, waiting until they were near the stairway before saying"Chris, I've met the Manager's son once or twice, I think he can help us."

Chris' eyes widened in surprise and turned"Really?"

"Yes" Alicia nodded"Although he's... Well, I think he has problems speaking, something happened that damaged his vocal chords. But I'm sure he's nice, he and my brother and I are old friends from our Junior High School days."

Chris took in this piece of information"Wow, that's good to know. All right, let's go speak to the Manager's son and see if we can learn anything new."

The two went up the stairs, stopping when they caught sight of a dried-up bloodstain. Chris frowned"Hm. Think this could be related? The blood's been mostly wiped away, but I think this could be a clue."

"Hey, you're right" Alicia looked at it for a moment"Well, let's get going."

The two reached the top floor and walked to a working Shooter Game Cabinet. Alicia walked over to the side to see the person playing the game"Excuse me?"

The Player, a young man with brownish hair, brown eyes, a white sweatshirt and jeans, stopped as soon as he finished playing and turned to the woman, speaking in a somewhat hoarse voice"Alicia... Its good to see you again. How are you?"

"Fairly good, thanks" Alicia smiled"Oh, and do you have your I Pad, Zachary?"

"Not at the moment, I left it at home, my voice is slowly coming back" he said. He had a thin scar near his throat.

Alicia shrugged and handed him a notepad and paper"Well, you shouldn't be exerting yourself. Anyway, I managed to hire a Lawyer for Jared, he's investigating his case."

"Good. I was worried about how the two of you must be handling this" Zachary smiled, accepting the notepad before turning to Chris, writing down on the notepad.

Chris smiled"Hey there, I'm Christopher Wright."

Zachary smiled and wrote down on his notepad, tearing a page and handing it politely to the young Lawyer.

 _'Its nice to meet you, Chris_. _I'm Zachary Smithson, the Arcade Owner's son_.' After he finished reading, the young Lawyer frowned"Okay, its nice to meet you, but why can't you speak to me, normally?"

"I was in an accident" Zach wheezed, gasping when he realized that he had overexerted his voice before continuing on _paper'It damaged my vocal chords and I barely pulled through._ '

Chris nodded"Okay. Well, I won't push you anymore than I have to. Do you know something about the murder of Victor Thompson?"

Alicia suddenly had a worried look on her face, but trusted Chris to prove her brother's innocence. She didn't want her boyfriend to fall under suspicion, too if it looked like this conversation was going where she's afraid it is.

Zachary simply wrote _down'I heard a crash around the same time Victor's death happened. My guess is that he landed hard on one of the game cabinets on the floor below after he took an nasty fall._ '

Chris nodded"Okay, thanks for the info. Can we go see your dad? Is he here?"

Zachary nodded, pointing in the direction of the office a short way away"I hope your investigation goes well." He turned back to insert a quarter into the game cabinet he was playing on earlier.

"Is there something wrong? He looked like he was feeling guilty about something" Chris asked Alicia.

Alicia sighed"He has a lot on his mind, actually. He won't tell me what it is, but I want to help him. Chris, you don't suspect him of anything, do you?"

Chris recognized the implication in Alicia's voice and thought carefully about his next answer"Its too soon to say, but so far, he and his dad may be the only key witnesses without an alibi."

"Chris, you can't mean to accuse him of murder!" Alicia cried.

"I..." Chris paused, feeling somewhat torn"I don't really want to, but sometimes the truth hurts, my dad drilled that into my head. Well, let's continue on with our investigation."

Alicia reluctantly nodded and followed Chris to the Manager's office. An older man with brownish hair flecked with black was calculating the money his arcade is making when he looked up"Hm?"

"Hey there" Chris greeted with a smile"I'm Christopher Wright, a Lawyer" he showed the man his badge"Crank told me about you."

The Manager sighed"That Mechanic is a bit loose-lipped, anyhow, I'm Arcadia Smithson, the owner of this fine arcade. What are you two doing here? Is something else broken? I already have Crank repairing one of my arcade's broken consoles."

Chris shook his head"Nothing like that, I just want to ask a few questions. You know Victor Thompson?"

"Yeah, he was a bright young man" Arcadia nodded"I hear that he was an aspiring Game Designer. Why ask me, though? I try to make a point of not betraying customer confidentiality."

"He was killed" Alicia spoke"Haven't you heard?"

"Humph. Well, can't help you there" Arcadia grunted.

Chris took in this information silently, taking a moment before speaking"I took Jared's case and came to the conclusion that a third party was responsible, based on the testimony of Hilary, another of your customers. He said he saw someone's shadow, but didn't specify who. I met your son and asked him about it, all he knew is that Victor must have fallen from this very floor. If its not homicide, I've no idea what it could be."

Arcadia blinked"How do you know that Hilary wasn't seeing things? And why did you think to ask my son?"

"Alicia said he'd be able to help" Chris replied"And during this investigation, I've been mentally whittling down the list of potential suspects. And there was a dried bloodstain, which would mean that maybe the real crime scene was up here."

Arcadia chuckled darkly"How would that many any sense, boy? You're just grasping at straws." He absentmindedly reached for the telephone"If you're done wasting my time, I'll have to report you for harassing me."

Alicia stepped forward"For your information, Mr. I happen to be an aspiring Police Officer, I'm going to join them one day."

"Let me handle this" Chris interrupted, then turned back to Arcadia"I hear you've been giving information to the Prosecution."

"You know about that?" Arcadia narrowed his eyes"You know, just because firearms are prohibited in the Arcade doesn't mean that I can't silence you, its all confidential stuff. I can't have you finding out about my little cover-up scheme. You're every bit as nosy as that other Lawyer I've heard about."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked"And I'm warning you, I'm a black belt in Origami."

Arcadia chuckled"Paper folding? That's a no-good bluff that don't work on people who know what Origami is." He reached into his sack to pull out a hard, round ball"You see this? This little memento of my Bowling Champion days is a sort of good luck charm."

"Your son mentioned he was in an accident, do you know what is was?" Alicia pressed.

The Arcade Manager put down his ball"He was riding his bike to a bowling competition when he got involved in a little car accident. He barely survived. Now, if that's all, please leave immediately."

Chris thought he had seen a dried bloodstain on the dark red ball, but didn't think much of it as he said"I'm sorry to hear about your son's accident. Alicia, I'm sorry I suspected him for a moment."

"Its okay" Alicia assured Chris before addressing Arcadia"One more thing. How do we know that you had nothing to do with this case?"

"You're pushing my buttons, missy" Arcadia sighed as he dialed on his phone and called"Hey, found Jared's killers right here."

"Objection!" Priscilla and Kenderick burst into the room.

"Oh, there you are" Arcadia chuckled darkly.

Priscilla's eyes were narrowed"I overheard everything just now. First you feed me potentially false information, now I catch you attempting to file a false report. I would press charges, but we've more important things at hand."

Chris breathed a sigh of relief"Thanks, Prosecutor Whiteshore."

"I'm just doing my job" Priscilla told the brunette Attorney before turning to address Arcadia"Mr. Smithson, as key witnesses, I would like to request your and your son's presence in the courtroom, tomorrow. Unfortunately, that means your arcade will be closed for tomorrow. In fact, this place is on lockdown until after the trial."

Arcadia smiled"If you want me to give testimony in court, then fine. My son and I will both be there. We've actually been watching quietly from the gallery earlier today." He couldn't refuse.

"Well, I guess tomorrow Is when we'll find out the truth, then" Chris smiled optimistically.

"I wouldn't count on it, and this time, the gloves are coming off for real" Priscilla stated"I have a few more things to discuss with Mr. Smithson, you're free to go."

Chris nodded and began to leave with Alicia.

"Mr. Smithson was scarier than I thought" Alicia remarked.

"Well, he sounded like he was troubled by something" Chris mussed as he got out his notebook to jot down what he learned so far.

Alicia glanced at him"You think so?"

"Call it a hunch, but there might be more to Thompson's death than we thought" Chris replied"I'm heading back to the Law Offices to get my facts straight and prepare for the trial."

"I'll watch from the stands like usual" Alicia nodded.

Chris headed back to the law office as they exited. Tomorrow's trial was sure to be interesting, especially since Mr. Smithson was hiding something. The young Attorney supposed he was lucky that Priscilla seemed to be on his side, but there was no telling with her.

* * *

Finally got this chapter up, sorry for the wait. And Chris Ketchum, sorry I didn't wait for your response to the email I sent you. I just hope I'm making enough sense, here. I also apologize if I made Chris OOC at any point.

Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable, I tried my best to make the investigation segment look interesting.


	5. Turnabout Arcade-Trial II

The final segment of Turnabout Arcade is now up and ready. Thanks andreaprilonofan for adding it to your favorites. The final segment of Reunion and Turnabout will also be included.

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney was created/copyrighted by Capcom. Chris is Chris Ketchum's OC.

* * *

Turnabout Arcade-Trial II

Chris woke early the next day to get ready for the trial, got dressed and had a quick breakfast before heading to the Courthouse. His thoughts dwelled briefly on Prosecutor Whiteshore and Arcadia Smithson and part of him wanted to visit Maya, but that would have to wait.

Several families from the Arcade and two people he assumed were Jared and Alicia's parents were also headed into the court, Chris had a feeling they've taken an interest on the possible outcome of Jared's trial.

'Uncle Nick, Maya, hang on a while longer. Maybe I can go watch your trial after this' he thought.

The grey-bearded Judge's brother was apparently still presiding over the case, and Prosecutor Whiteshore stood behind the Prosecution's Bench, looking as stoic as she was yesterday.

"Court is back in session" The blond Judge announced"Are the Defense and Prosecution prepared?"

"I'm ready, your Honor" Chris replied taking his place at the Defense Bench.

"The Prosecution is ready" Priscilla stated, as resolute as ever.

The Judge nodded"Now, then. Prosecutor Whiteshore, have you any new information to share for the opening statement?"

Priscilla nodded"Yes, and no. The Prosecution's position has not changed from the possibility of Jared being the Killer, but the Prosecution would like to thank the Defense for providing the court with two potential Key Witnesses."

"Really?" Chris meeped.

"Indeed, Mr. Wright" Priscilla confirmed"And honestly, the arcade was not that big of a place. At any rate, the Prosecution would like to call forth its next witness, a young man and avid Arcade Player who is apparently a "friend" of the Defendant and his sister."

The Judge nodded"Very well, send him in."

Chris steeled himself for what's coming next, hoping that Zachery will be up for it. Priscilla had turned and gone to the Witness Lobby to send for Alicia's boyfriend.

Within a moment, the semi-quiet young man came into the room and went up to the Witness Stand. Chris silently wondered how the young man's voice is doing, but kept quiet.

"Witness, please state your name to the court" Priscilla requested.

The young man pulled out an-Pad, typing something onto word once he was online and showed it to the Judge'My name is Zachary Smithson, I'm the local Arcade Owner's son.'

"Witness? Is there a medical reason why you are using your I-Pad thingy to speak?" The blond Judge asked, sternly. Unlike his brother, he had little patience for eccentricity.

"Your Honor" Chris interjected"He has been rendered almost mute in an accident."

The Judge was surprised"Dear me. Prosecutor Whiteshore, why did you not mention this?"

"There was no need to unnecessarily invade the Witness' privacy" Priscilla said, simply as though it was most obvious"Whether he testifies vocally or not should not matter."

"No, I suppose you're right" the Judge relented"Witness, you may begin your testimony."

Zachary nodded, deciding to try speaking"I was there the day before yesterday... It was late afternoon, shortly before closing time. Victor and Jared were playing on a two-player Arcade Racing Game. All three of us were on the second floor."

"Hold it" Chris interjected"Didn't the Autopsy Report say that the scene of the crime was on the first floor?"

"Don't be so hasty" Priscilla interrupted"The report didn't specify such, although that was indeed where the victim's body was found."

"Oh, right, I forgot" Chris said sheepishly.

The Judge banged his gavel"Assuming we don't have anymore unnecessary interruptions, the Witness may finish his testimony."

Zachary nodded"When Jared and Victor were done, I heard them arguing right when I finished the last level of the game I was playing... By the time I got to them, Victor had already been pushed downward."

Chris thought for a moment"Weren't there any other Players on the same floor as you?"

"Yes, but they were too occupied to notice anything" The young man nodded, his voice cracking"Urgh... Guess I need to stick to my I-pad."

"Well, it looks like suspicion has fallen back upon your Client, Wright" Priscilla stated"The only possible suspect is Jared, most unfortunately. And I do believe that it turned out that no murder weapon was involved."

"Objection!" Chris cried"Mr. Arcadia Smithson showed me a slightly bloodstained ball he had kept from his Championship days at a Bowling Alley. That would make it the murder weapon, wouldn't it?"

"Objection!" Priscilla shot back"Even if that were so, how do you know there were any fingerprints on it or if it wasn't just ketchup that he'd somehow gotten on it and neglected to wipe it off? And there was no bruise on the victim's chest. Can you refute that?"

Chris shrugged"I don't have anything conclusive, but I'm positive that might be the weapon."

Zachery paled and typed on his I-Pad'You don't really suspect my dad, do you? He's the only family I have left after my mother.'

"Well, your testimony has given you an ironclad alibi" Chris stated"And about your accident, can you tell us about it in more detail?"

"When I was on my bike, a car smashed into me and sent me flying onto a fence at my house" Zachery wheezed, typing out the rest'I barely survived, but my vocal chords were damaged. That's why I'm having trouble speaking.'

Chris thought for a moment"Well, it looks like the joke is on you and your dad. And did you know about the bloodstain on the second floor steps of the Arcade?"

Zachary frantically nodded, typing'Yes.'

Priscilla rolled her eyes in annoyance and shouted"Hold it! The accident has no relevance to the case on hand. What are you getting at with these questions? This is hardly important information."

"Objection!" Chris shouted again"I think its important."

"You are blatantly invading the Witness' privacy" Priscilla pointed out"This may be a Court of Law, but there are boundaries."

Chris shrugged"I know there are boundaries, but I think its important."

The Judge banged his gavel"Stop bickering, you two. I don't think this is anymore relevant than Prosecutor Whiteshore says, Mr. Wright. And I must ask, are you implying that the third-person that may be involved in Victor Thompson's murder is Mr. Arcadia Smithson?"

Chris shook his head"I'm not so much as implying it as I have a very good idea it was him, Your Honor. Prosecutor Whiteshore, the Arcade Owner is the other Witness you had in mind, right?"

Priscilla hesitated, then sighed"Yes, although It looks like I underestimated you, yet again." Addressing the Judge, she said"The Prosecution calls Mr. Arcadia Smithson to testify."

"Very well" The Judge nodded"We'll have a ten minute recess in the meantime."

Zachery paled and stood back"To think... That my dad might be a Murderer... I feel faint" he collapsed.

"Not here, you don't" Priscilla went over to help him"I'll take you to the Infirmary to get some rest."

Chris went back outside to get his facts in order. Alicia filed out after him.

'Well, looks like I just about won this case... But why do I have the feeling I haven't figured out the entire truth?' he thought. He believed that his Client was innocent, but he felt slightly empty.

"Chris" Alicia came out"You were brilliant, and I'm glad that Zachary was innocent the whole time."

Chris nodded"Yeah, I just need to piece together what I've learned and try to figure out the whole story behind this case. Prosecutor Whiteshore really isn't making this easy, but its her job to try to prove the Defendant's guilt, anyway."

Alicia nodded"She's actually a good person, huh?"

"Yeah, but I still don't know much about her" Chris shrugged"If I win this trial, this might be the last time we see each other, I'm going to be busy."

"Well, I'm going to join the police force, so we might end up working on another case together, sometime" Alicia said, hopefully.

Chris smiled"That'd be nice. Oh, and tell your parents they don't need to worry about payment, I can always take a side job if business at my Uncle's law firm is running slow."

Alicia nodded"Thank you, And I wish you luck in the future. Oh, and I hear that the courtroom next to this one is currently holding Miss Maya Fey's trial. I read about her in the newspaper."

"I feel bad for the Publisher who has to help with the Retraction if it turns out she's innocent, but that's just how is goes" Chris said"Maybe I'll go watch it after this case is over. My Uncle is handling her case."

"He's a magnificent man, isn't he?" Alicia asked"I read in the news about some of his cases, notably where he exposed the former Police Chief Damon Gant as Prosecutor Marshall and Detective Goodman's killer. And I read about Prosecutor Edgeworth's trial. I'd probably lose it if I was the Officer who arrested someone who turned out to be innocent after the said person's trial, but a Cop's gotta do what a Cop's gotta do."

"Yeah, that's why I look up to my uncle" Chris nodded.

One of the Bailiffs came up to the two after a moment longer"The Trial is about to resume."

"All righty" Chris headed back into the Courtroom.

The Judge and Prosecutor have returned to their benches after a break as well. The Judge spoke"Court has resumed."

Priscilla nodded"We're ready, your Honor."

The Arcade Manager entered from the Witness Lobby and took to the stand, sneering at Chris before speaking"Good day, I am a very busy man, so I'll try to keep this brief. My name is Arcadia Smithson, owner of the Smithson Arcade."

"Sorry about putting pressure on your son" Chris spoke from the Defense Bench"But I think he's going to be all right."

Arcadia nodded"I appreciate you letting me know, but you're dead set on suspecting me, aren't you?" He glared.

Chris shrugged"Well, I don't have any other Suspects."

"Mr. Smithson, if you want to clear yourself of suspicion, we need your testimony" Priscilla prompted.

Arcadia sighed"All right, well, here's the scoop. I was in my office doing paperwork shortly after hiring a Mechanic to fix one of my Arcade's broken cabinets. But then I heard a scuffle and a crash, so I hurried outside to investigate. By that time, Victor Thompson had already pushed up daisies."

"I don't believe you, what of the bloodstain on your bowling ball? And I think you might've stolen it at some point" Chris noted"Because normally, Bowling Alleys don't let its players keep their ball."

"Hey!" Arcadia cried indignantly"I earned it."

Priscilla was speechless for a moment"Mr. Smithson, why did you withhold this from me?"

"It wasn't any of your beeswax you Naïve, good-for-nothing Prosecutor, I thought you would've been able to sweep all this under the rug" Arcadia snapped.

Priscilla became red-faced with fury for a moment"Naive, good for nothing you say!?"

The Judge banged his gavel"Witness, I find that attitude towards women to be very disrespectful."

"My bad, I was just frustrated" The Arcade Owner shrugged"Anyway, back to my Testimony. I went downstairs to see where the Victim had landed, he was laying sprawled on the floor, there was quite a bit of blood on him."

Chris took this information in for a second"Well, I think this links to a certain piece of Evidence. And that evidence is on the Murder Weapon, your stolen bowling ball, right?"

"Give me a break, kid" Arcadia shook his head"That's not evidence enough that I had committed the crime."

'I don't believe that for a second' Chris shook his head, then addressing the Judge"The Defense moves to indict Mr. Arcadia Smithson for the murder of Victor Thompson."

"Objection!" Priscilla shouted before the Judge could speak"Mr. Wright, do you have any evidence?"

Chris nodded"You bet. All we gotta do is get that "stain" on Mr. Smithson's bowling ball looked at. Only, I don't have a Forensics kit, as I'm no Forensics Scientist."

'Shoot! I should've disposed of that thing' Arcadia mentally cursed, but then said"That's a blatant invasion of my private property. Certainly, there's no need for such antics."

"Well, your behavior has made it increasingly obvious" Priscilla stated, before addressing Chris"Defense, I must warn you that if you can't conclusively prove that this Witness was the true culprit as you claim, well, let's just say that you may lose your badge. I have certain... Connections, shall we say. Otherwise, you can always just back out and avoid any critical errors that may disgrace both your Profession and your family's name."

Chris smiled wryly"Except I won't have to in this case." Addressing the Judge, he said"Your Honor, can we get the bloodstain on Mr. Smithson's so-called prized "bowling ball" analyzed? That may be just conclusively prove that he's the killer."

The Judge nodded"Very well, then. Bailiff, get a Forensics Expert in here on the double to perform a DNA test."

Arcadia paled, closing his eyes as he grew deathly pale and groaned"Man... The things I do for my family... That cheeky Lawyer and naïve Prosecutor don't help things one bit..." He then snapped open his eyes to seemingly find himself in a black void with a green background where something punched him upward onto the top of a building, where what looked like Jumpman and a Donkey Kong character lifted him up and tossed him down. Within moments, he was back in reality, screaming while in a falling motion for a moment.

"Well?" Priscilla prompted him.

Arcadia sighed after he'd fully recovered from his breakdown"That was well-played, boy" he said to Chris"I cannot deny it any longer, Victor was actually the one who caused my son's accident. I confronted him that day, not long after he'd finished playing with Alicia and Zach."

"So, then, you DID have a personal vendetta with the victim" Priscilla noted"But why keep it a secret?"

Arcadia went quiet for a moment"My son felt a bit guilty that Victor's car had a slight dent from the bike and tried to take the blame by claiming he wasn't abiding traffic laws. I couldn't let him be sued and put our Arcade out of business by Bankrupting us."

Chris blinked"But why did you not approach me or my uncle? We could've found a way to help all three of you. Was the accident why you killed him?"

"Truth is" Arcadia sighed"I was mad, that was true, but not ticked enough to actually commit murder. It'd be bad form if an Arcade Owner killed one of his own costumers, It would shut down my Arcade. I confronted Victor in front of the stairs to the bottom floor and asked him why he hit my Son the way he did. That struck a nerve, causing him to draw his pocketknife and try to stab me, I got my ball out and knocked the knife out of his hand, it cut him on the foot. He stumbled from the impact and then fell down to the first floor."

The Judge was shocked"I can't believe what I'm hearing, this case was a waste of the court's time?"

"Yeah, and I tried to save Victor" Arcadia nodded, bowing his head"But I wasn't fast enough to break his fall. Afraid that dire consequences would befall me and my son, I panicked and did the only thing I could on the spur of the moment to keep my arcade in business: I tampered with the evidence, discreetly broke one of my game consoles and then tried to make It look like a homicide by pinning the blame on Jared. But then, well, Alicia must have panicked."

"So, an Arcade Owner accidentally killed one of his own customers, then tried to pin it on another... You're a Coward" Priscilla hissed.

Arcadia sighed again"I don't deny it. Miss Whiteshore, you and Chris are every bit as brilliant as I surmise the legendary Phoenix Wright and the famed Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth would be, perhaps a little too brilliant. I planned to hire a Lawyer to overturn Jared's guilty verdict once the incident was covered by claiming to have found new information and evidence, but I suppose it was unnecessary in the long run."

"Mr. Smithson... I had no idea" Chris whispered.

Priscilla took a breath"You're not such a bad person after all, though your little façade and cover-up scheme nearly had this court fooled entirely."

"Thank you" Arcadia whispered, then said"But now that this little misunderstanding is all but cleared, well, if my late wife were here, she and my son would both undoubtedly be ashamed of me and what I'd almost done... All just to protect one person."

"You're wrong, father" Zachary reentered the courtroom, accompanied by a Forensics expert and a Nurse from the infirmary.

"Zach!" Alicia and Jared rushed over.

Arcadia glanced over"Son... You heard everything?"

"Yes" Zach nodded"Actually, Alicia snuck out a minute ago to let me know how the trial was going. I can't believe you'd go that far just for me."

The Judge closed his eyes"The bond between father and son is always good to witness. However" he opened his eyes again"Mr. Arcadia Smithson, I must insist that you enter Rehab and get some Therapy. Beyond that, I hereby find Mr. Jared Clementine: Not Guilty!"

The Gallery cheered, while Detective Seeke discreetly threw confetti over to the stand. Zachary smiled and nodded his congratulations to Jared, while Alicia raced to hug her brother. Arcadia went over to Jared to offer free Arcade tokens as an apology.

Priscilla looked at the sight silently before turning to Chris"Christopher Wright, though this is the first time I lost a case, as other Attorneys feared me merely for being Prosecutor Edgeworth's Understudy, I commend you for being the first to arrive at the truth."

"Heh" Chris flushed"Well, I was just doing my job, but thanks for the recognition."

The Judge banged his gavel"If that Is all, Court is adjourned."

The Galley filed out, Chris and Priscilla following suit.

Alicia, Zachary and Jared came out to meet them at the lobby of the courthouse. The younger girl addressing Chris and Priscilla"Thank you for saving my brother. You two were amazing."

"It was nothing" Chris smiled.

"The Forensics Expert was annoyed at the waste of time, though" Jared shrugged.

Chris addressed Zachary"I'm sorry about your dad."

"Its no big deal" Zach shrugged"He'll be back. Until then... I will take over management of our Arcade."

Chris then glanced over to another courtroom"Well, you guys go ahead and leave if you want, there's a trial I wanted to watch after I had cleared Jared's name. My uncle is the Defense at Miss Maya Fey's Trial."

"Actually, I planned on watching that trial and see how it turns out before going back to the Prosecutor's office, so I'll be going as well" Priscilla stated.

"Jared and I are coming, too" Alicia said.

"As am I" Zachary said, weakly.

Chris smiled"Okay, then. Let's go."

They headed for the courtroom where Maya's trial was taking place at, only to find a Bailiff standing there"Hold it, Trial is in session."

"Actually, I'm Christopher Wright" the brunette Lawyer replied"I'm a relative of the Attorney representing the Defense in Miss Fey's trial. And this is Prosecutor Whiteshore. We're mostly here to provide moral support."

"All right, but proceed quickly, the woman who is the Prosecution of the trial is a bit scary, I'd stay out of range of her whip if I were you" The Bailiff shuddered, he'd seen Prosecutor Franziska Von Karma before.

The group entered the courtroom where Phoenix and what appeared to be an Older Maya were facing off a bluish-haired Prosecutor in Court, the current witness was a woman with reddish hair.

"Excuse the interruption" Priscilla strode forward into the room, first.

"What sort of foolishly foolish fool walks into the midst of a Trial and interrupts the said session? Was the Bailiff napping on the job!?" The blue-haired Prosecutor scowled, clenching a whip.

"Miss Von Karma, I'm terribly sorry, but Christopher Wright and I had just finished wrapping up a Murder Mystery that occurred at the local Arcade and thought we'd come watch" Priscilla stated.

Phoenix and "Maya" turned to see the group as well. The presiding Judge, who Chris guessed is the younger Judge's brother, had a look of disapproval on his face.

Prosecutor Von Karma was sorely tempted to whip Priscilla, but she simply sighed"Very well, just don't let it happen again." She muttered something uncomplimentary about "foolishly foolish fools" before turning he attention to the Defense Bench.

Priscilla nodded her thanks and headed for an empty seat where the Gallery were watching the Trial.

Chris went to join Phoenix and "Maya" at the Defense Bench"Hey, Maya, Uncle, sorry about this. Wait, you're not Maya, are you?"

"Don't be" The woman stated"And Maya isn't conscious at the moment. I'm her older sister, Mia. Phoenix and Maya will explain things to you after the trial. Just stand quietly, okay?"

Chris nodded.

The presiding Judge spoke up"Now, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?"

Phoenix pulled out a newspaper and presented it to the Witness"Do you remember this article, Miss Miney?"

"Hm?" The woman feigned ignorance, looking blankly at the older Attorney. She had paid no heed to Chris and Priscilla.

"It's an article about the accident. You had said this in it: "But I opened the right door, and, like, got out"... That's correct, isn't it?" Phoenix pressed.

"Why are you suddenly asking me about that?" The red-haired Witness demanded.

Chris stole a look at the article"Its kinda like an American Car, except the Driver's side would be on the right, as would be on a British Vehicle."

The Judge frowned"So that means, The two of them were riding in a British car! In that case, the passenger side would be the left side!"

"Exactly" Phoenix nodded, before turning his attention to the Witness"Ms. Miney! You said that you had escaped using the right side door of the car! But if you were sitting there, then that means you were in the driver's seat!"

"Aaagh!" Screamed Miss Miney.

Franziska scoffed"Mr. Phoenix Wright is blabbering nonsense again! Ini said the person who was driving was her older sister, Mimi Miney!"

Phoenix nodded"Exactly. But that is where her story falls apart. Somewhere, all of us made a big error in our assumptions!"

Mia, who is still being channeled, smiled proudly"Phoenix. It looks like you've finally found the real root of this murder!"

"I don't know all of the details" Chris said"But Ini or Mimi - who was really driving that night?"

"Uncle, I know I should've asked you first before helping out, but this girl at the witness stand Is called Ini, right? Is that not her real name?" Chris asked.

Phoenix shook his head"No, that's not her real name. In fact, I have a very good idea who she is." Turning back to "Ini," he said"Mimy Miney is your real name, correct?"

"Objection!" Franziska shouted"What is this foolish drivel? How do you explain her appearance!?"

"When she was admitted into the hospital, this witness was suffering severe facial burns. So they used a picture for the purpose of facial reconstruction" Phoenix stated.

The Prosecutor was shocked"Reconstruction Surgery?"

Phoenix nodded and presented a picture"This is the picture she gave to her doctors at the time. That's right! It's a picture of her younger sister!"

"NOOOOOO!" Screamed Mimi.

The Judge stuttered"B-But... Mimi Miney... She died... In the car accident!"

"So she didn't die from the car crash" Chris noted.

Franziska frowned, confused"Th-Then, the body they found at the crash site..."

"That was the body of the real Ini Miney. Isn't that right... Ms. Mimi Miney!?" Phoenix asserted.

Mia turned to the Judge"I'm sure you can now see why Mimi had to kill Dr. Grey, your Honor."

The Judge was shocked"Wh-What do you mean?" He screamed as Franziska whipped him.

Chris shook his head at the sight.

Phoenix continued"Dr. Grey wanted to call back the spirit of a dead person. Specifically, the spirit of his nurse that died, Mimi Miney. However, that would not have been possible. Because Miss Mimey was still alive. And that fact would have been discovered had the channeling been conducted. So this witness had to stop that from happening."

Franziska stammerd"That's why she had to kill Dr. Turner Grey? Is that what you're saying!?"

"Yes. Before the channeling, Dr. Grey had the misfortune of consulting this witness about communicating with the dead" Phoenix explained"His fate was sealed at that moment."

"Seems I've been unmasked" Mimi smiled"That's right, I admit it. Mimi Miney was my real name, that Quack of a Doctor got what he deserved, I was so close to finally ditching "Mimi" too. So close... "

"Why would you go so far to throw away your self...? To become your own sister!?" The Judge asked.

"The Malpractice incident, wasn't it? Too bad it came back to bite her in the end" Chris smirked.

Phoenix nodded, then continued"Dr. Grey was right. The mistake was caused by the nurse. A nurse called Mimi Miney. That's right, the person standing before us today. And a few weeks after this mishap, Mimi Miney had a car accident, in which she lost her younger sister."

Franziska frowned"Th-The timing couldn't have been worse..."

"Her sister's death and that of the fourteen patients was too much for her to bear" Phoenix added.

Mimi bowed her head"I found a way for myself to escape it all... The only way..."

"She lost everything in the flames of that accident, her sister and her own face. This was her last chance... Her chance to throw away her past and start a new life as her "sister"..." Phoenix stated.

"If only that jerk hadn't thought of that channeling mumbo-jumbo... Becoming Ini has been the most horrible experience in the world. Spirit channeling, the occult... I hate it! I hate it all!" Mimi yelled.

The Judge nodded"I believe there are still a few unsolved riddles here... Why did you set a murderous revenge plot into motion? And why did Ms. Morgan Fey agree to help you with the plan...? Regardless, I believe one thing has been made crystal clear."

"The innocence of the defendant, Maya Fey..." Phoenix agreed.

Franziska clenched her whip"This is preposterous! I... I'm perfect! Me... Franziska von Karma..."

Phoenix smiled"I'm going to enjoy the news tonight, Ms. von Karma. How about you? It's going to be broadcast all over the world, right? Your defeat, that is..."

Franziska furiously proceeded to lash Phoenix with her whip, only for Chris to grab the whip.

"Chris" Phoenix glanced at his nephew, relieved, though he was close to losing consciousness.

Franziska yanked her whip free and instead lashed Chris once"This court is a fraud! A sham!" She yelled.

Priscilla shook her head from where she was watching from the Gallery'That girl needs to let it go and move on, she wouldn't have lost her father had he not tried to take vengeance on Edgeworth over something so petty as a ruined win record.'

As the Bailiff proceeded to arrest Mimi, the Judge declared"Now, I will go ahead with my verdict: This court finds Miss Maya Fey not guilty."

The Gallery cheered, while Chris and Phoenix were supporting each other.

"Court is adjourned" The grey-bearded Judge stated. Franziska had left in a huff.

Phoenix, Chris and Mia headed back out to the Defendant Lobby. Zachary, Priscilla, Alicia and Jared joined them there.

"That whip chick sure was a wacko" Jared commented.

"Congratulations" Mia stated to her sister.

Priscilla glanced at Phoenix and Chris, worriedly"You two got quite a lashing. Will you be okay?"

Phoenix nodded"Yes, we'll be fine. But more importantly, what would've happened if Mimi hadn't shot Dr. Grey?"

Mia thought for a moment before responding"I think Mimi Miney had planned to open the door to the Chamber herself. Then you, Chris and and Lotta would have witnessed quite a scene; A "possessed" Maya Fey, who had just committed a murder."

"So she had it all planned out" Chris remarked.

Mia then left Maya's body, the latter calling"Chris! Nick!"

"Congratulations" Chris smiled.

Maya beamed"Thanks! Well, Nick, you sure busted me out of another jam."

"It was nothing" Phoenix nodded.

"I really don't want something like this to happen ever again, though" said Maya, sadly"Every time something happens, I lose someone special to me. First my sister... And now my aunt..."

"I'm sorry about all this... Never would've guessed Morgan Fay was a rotten skunk, though I did have a bad feeling about her" Chris nodded. The police had gone to arrest Morgan for her part in the murder not too long ago.

Maya bowed her head"Why would my aunt help Ms. Mimi with a plan like that!? I just... I just don't understand it, Nick..."

"Its over, but you probably still want an answer to that, I bet" Chris nodded understandingly"I still don't know all of the details. Uncle, do you have any idea why Morgan tried to do that to her own Niece?"

Phoenix reluctantly nodded"It has something to do with Pearl."

"Pearly?" Maya blinked, confused.

Phoenix nodded"A new Master will be "born" into Kurain Village in four years. That person will be you, Maya. But, if you weren't there... Then the main family's blood-line would disappear..."

"And what would happen then?" Chris pressed.

"My Aunt would take over?" Maya paled.

Phoenix shook his head"No, Morgan's spiritual power is too weak. The next person would be... Pearls. Everything was done so that Pearls would become the next Master."

Chris clenched a fist"Who would've thought that a Spirit Medium would go that far over something as petty as that?"

"Spirit Mediums are still people, Chris" Priscilla reminded him"We must all take the good with the bad."

"And you must be Prosecutor Whiteshore" Phoenix addressed the blond Prosecutor.

Priscilla nodded"Yes, I saw that you were every bit as good as your Nephew. He got Jared, here acquitted, turns out that the Arcade Manager panicked after he accidently killed Victor Thompson."

"I see. Well, congratulations, Chris" Phoenix smiled.

"Thanks" Chris smiled back for a moment"But what about Pearl? I mean, she's still a kid."

Maya smiled reassuringly"Pearly will be staying with me and Nick."

"That's a relief" Chris said.

Priscilla turned to go"I must get back to the Prosecutor's Building, gotta turn in my paperwork before that hardhead, Blaise Debeste comes down hard on me. The new Chief Prosecutor is two-to-three times stricter than Prosecutor Skye."

"Good luck. Looking forward to facing you in court again, sometime" Chris said to Priscilla.

"Same here, Chris" Priscilla nodded as she headed on out.

Jared, Alicia and Zachary headed back to their homes.

Chris, Maya and Phoenix went to meet up with Pearl and head back to the Law Office.

* * *

Finally got this chapter ready, hope it was enjoyable. And honestly, while I made Arcadia's breakdown a bit over-the-top, breakdowns like that are implied to be psychological in the series. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the way I incorporated part of Reunion and Turnabout. As for Blaise Debeste, that might not actually be Bansai Ichiyanagi's official localized name if AAI2 ever gets an official English release, that's just the name used in the Fan Translation in case anyone reading this doesn't know that.

I hope this chapter was enjoyable.


	6. Turnabout Arcade Aftermath

After some thought, I decided I'm going to do an intermission chapter here and there between case chapters.

Disclaimer: Capcom created Ace Attorney and its corresponding characters/locations etc. Christopher Wright is Chris Kechum's OC.

* * *

Turnabout Arcade Aftermath

Chris, Phoenix and Maya returned to the Wright and Co. Law Offices after picking up Pearl, the little girl felt overwhelmed as she had never visited the city before. Chris turned to address Maya"That must have been one heck of a case."

"I agree" Maya nodded"So, that case you just mentioned, was that your first time defending in court? I don't think I've seen you before that."

Chris nodded"Yeah, it was a real bombshell of a case, too. I have a hunch we'll see Alicia sometime again, she's aspiring to become a Police Officer. Prosecutor Whiteshore was fairly chill."

"Prosecutor Whiteshore? I've heard a little about her" Maya said, interested"The Whiteshores had strong ties with the Von Karma family, supposedly. Apparently, she became a Prosecutor when she was sixteen, they said in the news that she is a Prodigy."

Chris pondered this bit of information"Interesting. Either way, she was about equal in the courtroom, not that I really would consider the Prosecution my rivals." He then turned to address Pearl"Since this is your first time here in the city, would you like us to give you a tour?"

"Sure" Pearl nodded, shyly"Mr. Nick, Mystic Maya, will that be all right?"

"I don't see why not" Maya smiled.

"Sure" Phoenix replied"Its not like Chris or I have any other cases right now."

"Yay!" Pearl grinned. She, Maya, Chris and Phoenix stepped outside once more.

* * *

Priscilla returned to her office in the Prosecutions Office building and settled down to do some paperwork, reflecting on that surprising turnabout that Christopher Wright had pulled and the shocking events behind it. Still, there was no use crying over spilled milk. Unlike Franziska, she didn't make a big deal over losing a case, the truth held more value than a win record in her eyes. After all, Win Records should not have priority, especially not if they meant putting innocent people in prison for crimes they didn't commit. Not that she could help the latter, it was the Defense's job to prove the Defendants' innocence and her job to try to prove their guilt.

Kenderick burst into her office a moment later"Miss Whiteshore, may I speak to you?"

"What is it?" Priscilla asked, she had just gotten started on her paperwork.

Kenderick got right to the point"The police have been picking up reports of something shady going on in a Casino near the edge of the town. They wanted us to help investigate if we can. And what do you think of the rumors of a cave near the mountains having some mystic mumbo-jumbo?"

"Rumors are just that, and I've got other cases to look into" Priscilla replied"What more can you tell me about the Casino? Its the Patrons' fault if they lose all of their money, there."

"The owner is supposedly funding a shady organization" Kenerick shrugged.

Priscilla gave this some thought"Hm. Well, according to the news, the Press is planning on funding an expedition to the cave in a couple months. Did you miss that tidbit?"

"Yeah, guess I did, not that I'm as prone to mistakes as Detective Gumshoe" Kenderick said, sheepishly.

"And regarding what you said about the Casino, I'll be there as quick as I can" Priscilla stated"Did the police have the name of the potential suspect?"

Kenderick nodded"Yeah, his name is Roy Kurt. I don't know why the police need us there, but I suppose we'll just have to do what we can, right?"

"Exactly" Priscilla replied, standing up"We will go there in the morning, I still have quite a bit of paperwork to finish."

"Yes, ma'am" Kenderick saluted.

* * *

The weather was sunny and nice as Phoenix, Chris and Maya went about their stroll through town. Pearl shyly stuck close to Maya, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people going about their business and the assortment of different buildings.

"So, what do you think?" Chris addressed Pearl"Its certainly a much bigger city than Kurain."

"Yeah" Pearl nodded"And, um... Where do you live?"

"I live in an apartment not far from the Law Office" Chris replied"Mr. Ryan Khomes is a nice guy, a decent and fair landlord. He actually offered to give me a small discount when I initially rented the apartment room I live in, was an old classmate of my mom's actually."

"He sounds like a wonderful person" Maya commented.

Chris nodded, rubbing the back of his head"You can say that, yes. Maya, you have any other relatives?"

The older Spirit Medium nodded"Yeah, my mother, but she's missing."

"I see" Chris frowned slightly for a moment before speaking"My mom's a Journalist and my dad's an Interpol Agent. My dad was pretty strict, but he was also fair and kinda nice."

"It must have been really nice growing up with your parents. Pearly and I have no memory of our fathers" Maya said, somberly.

Pearl just quietly listened to the conversation as she glanced around. She had not been close to her father since he had left shortly after she was born. Phoenix walked in between Maya and Chris.

Chris smiled slightly"Yeah, though my dad wasn't around much due to his job. Its not easy being an international police officer, but I still respect him. I learned a thing or two about self-defense."

They continued their walk in silence until Maya piped up"Well, shall we stop by for some burgers for lunch? I see a good burger joint not far ahead."

"Sounds good" Chris grinned.

Phoenix checked his wallet and shrugged"Well, I guess it can't hurt." Despite not earning a lot of money from his jobs as a Lawyer, he could never bring himself to say no whenever Maya wanted to go out for burgers or something.

Pearl stuck close to Maya as they went to order their food and drinks. Chris had bought himself a veggie-burger and a chocolate milkshake, as he had a bit of a sweet tooth. Maya got a couple plain mc-doubles, Pearl got a kid's meal and Phoenix ordered a single burger.

As they sat to eat, Chris addressed Maya"This joint's pretty good, though I tend not to eat a lot of junk food, my dad's a bit of a health nut."

"Well, Chase does like to keep himself in shape" Phoenix remarked, reflecting on his older brother.

"A health... Nut? What's that?" Pearl asked, curiously.

"That's basically someone whose really obsessed with their health" Maya replied around a bit of her burger.

"Oh" Pearl said before taking a bite of her mini burger.

Chris stood up after a moment"I'm gonna hit the gym in a bit to work off some of the extra calories I may have gotten. Maya, would you like to come back here again sometime?"

"Sure thing" Maya beamed.

Phoenix silently finished his portion before standing"Just be sure to be back at the law office tomorrow, just in case."

"Sure thing, Uncle" Chris nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile, early into the next day, Priscilla and Kenderick were on their way to the Casino to look into its shady owner. Upon arrival, they had come to the scene of a horrific crime, a man who looked to be in his thirties was found dead on the floor. A woman in her early twenties was being questioned.

"What happened?" Priscilla asked.

One of the two policemen in the vicinity turned"This person was found dead just recently, the woman we just took into custody claims that she had nothing to do with It, but she was the only one there. The victim had a knife plunged in his chest with a card attached to the hilt."

"Sounds like the Casino Owner has a taste for the theatrics" Kenderick remarked.

The woman pleaded"I'm telling you, it wasn't me."

"What's your name?" Priscilla asked.

The younger woman paled"Laura, miss. I found a poor gentleman dead with a knife and a card with a spade on it. The card has a bloody writing on it, said "Debt Annulled.""

Priscilla went to inspect the card and jotted the information down in a notebook"Did the police find any fingerprints?" She glanced pointedly at one of the officers.

The policeman in question rubbed the back of his head"No."

"Then get a Forensics Expert on the Scene. I'm going to have a little chat with the owner" Priscilla barked irritably"The bloody card and knife will be taken as evidence. Laura, if someone else is the killer, then I will see to it that you will be released with our apologies. Otherwise, this case will have to go to trial."

"Thank you, miss" Laura nodded gratefully.

Priscilla and Kenderick proceeded into the Casino. The place was quiet, save for a couple tables where people were playing Poker.

"If you ask me, I thought Laura was suspicious, did you think someone else was the Culprit?" Kenderick asked, curiously.

"Not really, I just want to see if its connected to our suspect or not" Priscilla replied as she continued. She had been sure to pick up the relevant evidence and notes related to this investigation.

They entered the office where a slightly chubby, balding man with grayish hair and a tux greeted them"Ah, this must be the famed Prosecutor Whiteshore. What brings you here?"

"Forgive me, but I must cut to the chase" Priscilla said, curtly"I heard disquieting rumors that this Casino is funding a shady organization."

The Owner, Roy waved a hand dismissively"Rumors are rumors. Only shady incident that I know of is that a murder was recently committed."

Priscilla nodded, crossing her arms impatiently"I know, I saw. And if you wish to clear yourself of suspicion and not waste my time, mind telling me what you were doing in the last four hours?"

"Simply collecting the money folks have lost to this place" Roy stated"Only a few hundred bucks were collected-"

"Hold it!" Priscilla interrupted, taking out a sheet of parchment"This paper states that almost a million bucks was collected, people have commented that a couple of the slot machines in this Casino were rigged so that nobody could win."

"And I had anything to do with that?" Roy feigned ignorance.

Kenderick nodded"I bet my boots that it was you. And by the way, do you know about the knife and bloody card that was found on the victim?"

"Hm? Oh, yes" Roy nodded"That thing Laura, a regular customer of mine was carrying. The knife was already imbedded within the Victim when I came upon the scene of the crime" Roy stated.

Priscilla nodded"I see."

"Prosecutor Whiteshore!" A Forensics Scientist entered the room"We did a thorough analysis of the victim. He seemed to have died roughly twelve hours ago. We didn't see any signs of fingerprints, though."

Priscilla frowned"I see. Then it would seem that Miss Laura was not the killer. That leaves only one possibility, now."

"Oh, posh" scoffed the Casino Owner"You won't find even a shred of evidence linking me to the crime. And rumors are just that, rumors like I said. You must really want to stake your career on this implication."

"Except I won't have to" Priscilla stated"And you wouldn't happen to have an Alibi for the time of the murder, would you?"

"I was just out shopping around that time and was too drowned in paperwork to have had anything to do with it. Plus, the person who used the knife was right-handed" Roy said.

The Forensics Scientist interrupted"Actually, the pattern of the fingerprints on the knife told us that person was right-handed. The killer must have been pretty dim-witted."

"And what of the bloody writing that said the victim's debt was annulled? I gather that meant he gambled more than he could afford and owed you an outrageous sum of money" Priscilla pointed out"That, by itself, tells me that there's only one possible culprit: YOU!"

Roy's eyes narrowed"You're a little wet behind the ears for a Prosecutor, that could've been written by anyone. ANYONE could've committed that heinous act."

Priscilla shook her head"Sorry, but all the facts and circumstantial evidence points to you. Now, are you going to come quietly? Or are you willing to gamble with your life? I am not to be underestimated."

Roy's hand clenched as a set of dominos in his mind's eye fell before spat at her feat"You are too smart for your own good... Intuition will only get you so far. And before you ask, this has nothing to do with the Coachan Smuggling Ring. Absolutely nothing."

"We'll see" Priscilla stated"Kenderick?"

Kenderick made to grab the Casino Owner's hands and bind them"You are under arrest for treason and suspicion of murder."

Roy scowled"Blast you..."

"Enough, Laura must be informed that the charges against her are dropped" Priscilla stated, leading the way out of the room.

As the Casino Owner was handed to the police and Laura was cleared of suspicion, Kenderick addressed Priscilla"So, what that guy said about a smuggling ring, was that the organization he was accused of funding?"

"Its a possibility" Priscilla nodded"Frankly though, this was too easy. I suspect he may have been here as a Scapegoat, but it doesn't matter now. The Prosecution Office will question him at length later."

"Right-O" Kenderick nodded as he and Prisilla headed back to he office.

* * *

Hey, sorry if its rushed, but I haven't really been feeling motivated to continue writing this fic. Hopefully the next chapter won't take quite as long. I hope tis intermission chapter was okay, I just wanted to try to flesh out Chris and Priscilla a bit.


	7. The Cave of Turnabout-Prologue

Well, here's another chapter. This one can be considered a filler, but also leads up to the next case. Takes place before Turnabout Big Top, though, since that canon case takes place several months after Reunion and Turnabout.

Disclaimer: Capcom owns the copyright to Ace Attorney and its characters and settings.

* * *

The Cave of Turnabout-Prologue

Two months later, Chris woke early in his apartment and ate a light breakfast, part of him couldn't stop thinking about Maya, He enjoyed her company when they, along with Phoenix toured the town with her cousin, Pearl. The little girl was shy, but sweet, Chris could almost hardly believe that Pearl was Morgan's daughter after hearing what that old Fey woman tried to do to her own niece. Business at the Law Office was slow, but Chris still liked spending time with Phoenix, Maya and Pearl.

'Well, no use dwelling about it, Morgan Fey and Miss Mimey have gotten their comeuppance' Chris shrugged, having read the newspapers the night before going to bed. Part of him felt sorry for Mimi Mimey for the loss of her sister though, but what was to be done? Murder is a very serious crime, one that earned those found guilty of it a very, very long prison sentence, and in some cases, an execution.

Putting on a jacket and his badge, Chris set outside his apartment for the Firm, whistling a merry tune. He reached the firm and went in to greet his uncle and the two Feys who have arrived around the same time"Morning."

"Morning, Chris" Maya smiled"Did you catch the news about a mysterious cave that has just been discovered two months ago?"

Chris shook his head"Nope, was too busy keeping up on the latest news about the case Uncle Nick solved just a couple months back, and then there's something I read about a Casino Owner getting busted by Prosecutor Whiteshore for suspicious behavior."

"She's not someone I'd want to cross, but she's not as bad as Franziska from what I heard" Phoenix commented.

Maya grinned"You interested in this Whiteshore girl, Nick?"

"Of course not" Phoenix rolled his eyes, ignoring the look he just got from Pearl. He hadn't dated since he was an Art Student before taking the bar exam and becoming an Attorney, and the person who had been his crush was believed by him to not even be who he thought she was.

Chris chose this moment to reenter the conversation"So, what do you reckon this cave has?"

Maya thought for a second"Hm. Maybe there's some ancient treasure or piece of history to be discovered, an Archeologist is supposed to accompany the group. Hey Nick, would you, Chris and Pearly like to come with us to see what's going on?"

"Sure, Mystic Maya" Pearl said.

Phoenix nodded"All right, its not like we're going to be getting a Client anytime soon at this point, anyway. I'll just leave a note and my cell phone number outside, just in case."

"Well, I got nothing better to do right now" Chris smiled.

The four of them left the office and hired a taxi to take them to the northwestern mountain cave. Chris took a breath as he sat next to Maya"Well, nothing like spending the day with hopefully a bit of spelunking."

"I agree" Maya grinned.

Phoenix couldn't say he was really all that interested, but he had nothing better to do, and he wanted his nephew to enjoy himself once in a while, and there was Pearl and Maya to think about.

The car ride took an hour at most, the group arriving in time to see a few more cars parked at the vicinity of the mountain in question. Chris looked around"Guess a lot of people were interested. No surprises there, since the place had been discovered just a couple months ago."

"Heh, you bet" Maya smiled.

The four got a bit closer to see a small crowd of people gathering to look at the mountain, the entrance to the cave was just large enough for someone to enter. A woman in her forties was jotting notes as she spoke with another man who was in his fifties and had glasses, brown hair flecked with grey, a brown jacket and pants, with a white shirt. Priscilla and Kenderick were also on the scene.

"Wow, sure must be a big deal" Phoenix commented.

Maya nodded"Yeah."

The older man spotted the group, pleasantly surprised"Ah, we got more celebrities joining us, today. Phoenix Wright, I assume?"

"Uh, yeah" Phoenix rubbed his head"And you are?"

The man smiled"I'm Professor Robert Bones, an Archeologist, Explorer and University Professor from Arizona. I read about your cases, you young people sure know how to make things interesting."

"Thanks" Chris smiled"Professor Bones, I'm actually an admirer of history to some extent, though I'm more interested in law."

"And to think I would meet you here" Priscilla stepped forward"Chris, I'm pleasantly surprised to meet you, here."

"Thanks" Chris smiled.

The woman Professor Bones was talking to glanced over at them"Chris? Phoenix?"

"Mother?" Chris turned to the woman"How is everything?"

The woman smiled"Pretty good. I see you even made some friends during your career. I hope Chris has been doing okay in your care, Phoenix."

Phoenix nodded"Yeah, he already took a case a couple months ago and won."

"And who are these two?" The woman inquired, referring to Maya and Pearl.

Pearl shyly stood by Maya, but politely said"My name is Pearl, ma'am."

"And I'm Maya Fey, Nick's Assistant" Maya smiled.

The older woman smiled back"Nice to meet you, I'm Katarina Wright."

"How is Chase doing, Katarina?" Phoenix asked.

"Same as always" Katarina replied"As for me, my job's been getting more and more hectic, its not easy being a Journalist when you have to help with retractions whenever someone who was wrongfully accused or convicted was proven innocent, but who am I to complain? I very much prefer the truth, even the Turnabout variety. Anyway, as you can see, I'm here for today's scoop, and that is the expedition into the cave, there."

"We're interested in it, ourselves" Chris said"Is it in some way related to the Fey Clan or any historical periods?"

Katarina shrugged"I don't know, that's why the professor is here. We've no idea how large this cave is, either." She took a look at her notes again.

Professor Bones took this moment to speak"While I have brought an excavation team and Mrs. Wright was assigned by the press to keep to help keep a record of our findings, we'd be happy to have volunteers help us as we explore the cave and dig up any artifacts that we may find if anyone is interested. I will accept no more than six people, we don't want the place to get too crowded."

Chris smiled, excited"I'd like to help out."

"I'll come, too" Maya piped up.

Priscilla took a breath and stepped forward"I shall come as well. Professor Bones, you are too kind."

"Well, this is a popular site for Archeology Enthusiasts. Plus, as a teacher, I hoped to spread the wonders of Ancient History" Professor Bones smiled"Besides, there's bound to be some historical artifacts, like I said."

"I'll wait here with Pearl" Phoenix offered.

"Thanks, Nick" Maya smiled.

The volunteers entered the cave with the professor, the first chamber of which was mostly a rocky area with ancient rock-like walls along with a dirt pathway.

Maya gasped in awe as she saw an underground waterway"Wow, this place is just... Well, its something."

"Isn't it?" Professor Bones surveyed the area, there were three more chambers to the west, east and north of this"Well, I reckon I will check the room up north, myself. Everyone else, you're free to borrow some of our extra digging tools and explore the other parts, just be careful not to hit anything that might be an artifact."

"Is it okay if I join you, professor?" Chris asked.

"Sure" Professor Bones nodded"If your mum is okay with it."

Katarina nodded"Its all right with me."

"I guess I'll follow you three" Maya volunteered.

The three went into the northern chamber, which featured a large green crystal with several smaller ones surrounding it. Professor Bones was puzzled"Hm. Now here's something I haven't seen before in my life."

Katarina approached it"Hm. Yes, it is quite something."

Chris glanced curiously at the closest of the greenish-blue crystal and walked forward"You think this has some kind of historical value?"

"Maybe" Maya shrugged"We won't know until we look."

Chris picked up the nearest crystal and it seemed to glow in his hand, a glowing aura could be seen around Maya, his mother and Professor Bones as he held it"Hm?"

"What is it?" Katarina walked forward, seeing the crystal.

Chris noted that the others had the same colored aura"You can't see it?"

"See what?" Maya asked, puzzled.

Chris shrugged, unsure what to say at first"Well..." He rubbed the back of his head with a free hand"When I picked this crystal up, a strange colored aura appeared around you three."

"What?" Katarina was surprised.

"May I hold it?" Maya asked.

Chris nodded and handed the crystal to Maya.

The Spirit Medium was pleasantly surprised when she saw Chris' aura"Huh, there must have been a tremendous amount of Spiritual Energy imbued within to make such a pretty gemstone do that."

"I don't understand what you're saying, right now" Katarina frowned"Only Spirit Mediums are said to be able to harness spiritual power, and even then, it is used only to channel the spirits of the dead."

"Yeah, well, I'm a Spirit Medium, and I don't understand exactly what it is" Maya said"Chris, you don't happen to know anyone in your family who was a Medium, do you?"

Chris shook his head"No, not that I am aware of. Let's show this to Professor Bones."

"Sure- Ack!" Maya cried as a gunshot was suddenly heard.

Katarina paled and ran toward the source, only to find Professor Bones lying on his back, dying. Maya followed the woman, only to find a discarded pistol near the dying Archeologist.

"What on earth?" Katarina frowned"Who could have done this?"

Professor Bones groaned"Uh... I didn't see anyone... Nearby.." He closed his eyes after coughing up blood.

Katarina paled and picked up the discarded pistol, looking at it"Whatever its... Someone must have had it in for him, but who?"

"Could they have been after the crystals?" Chris frowned, turning to the monument. Sure enough, several more crystals had gone missing.

Just then, Priscilla and Glenn entered the chamber, having been alerted by an anonymous source. Priscilla ran forward"Katarina Wright, I'll have to ask that you come with me for questioning."

Chris frowned"Prosecutor Whiteshore, there's no WAY she could've done this, my mother is not a killer!"

"The evidence and the scene state otherwise" Priscilla pointed out

"Someone tipped you off, right?" Katarina asked.

The Prosecutor nodded"Yes, but that person was obscured by shadow, so I couldn't see who It was. Miss Fay, as one of the few people who are at the scene at this moment, you will be participating in the trial as a Witness. And since the Source of the information was anonymous, we will first launch an investigation."

Maya reluctantly nodded"All right." She then turned to Chris, handing the crystal back"This might be important, so hold on to it, okay?"

"Sure" Chris nodded.

"Don't be so hasty" Priscilla interjected"What if the perp was after it? I will be taking it as evidence."

Chris shook his head"I'll hold on to it, I promise I won't lose the crystal." If the presence of the nearby people's aura was any indication, he might be able to figure out the mythical crystal's importance. He might even be able to use it somehow.

Priscilla was a little skeptical, but relented with a sharp sigh"All right, then. Just be careful with it, from what I can see, this crystal is a rare sight and I have not heard of any other cave or mine that it would be found it."

"I can imagine" Chris then headed out of the cave while Maya remained behind to talk with Priscilla.

Phoenix and Pearl came in to meet him. The older attorney was slightly pale"Are you all right, Chris? I just heard what happened."

"Yeah, and my own mother's a suspect, I gotta help her. What's more, Maya will be a witness at the Trial" Chris stated"I'll need to investigate the Crime Scene. But since the scene of the crime was the room with the crystal in it, it looks like Prosecutor Whiteshore isn't giving me any leeway this time."

"I will help you this time as your Co Counsel and in the investigation" Phoenix assured his nephew"I don't know my own sister-in-law that well, but I know she isn't the type to commit manslaughter."

Chris smiled"Thank you Uncle."

* * *

And this is where I end this chapter on a cliffhanger. I'll go back and fix this if it turns out there were any errors, as I wasn't sure where I was going with it.


End file.
